By Michael Prendergast, Al Arabiya English — edited for The Pembrokeshire Herald

FORMER Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for a tougher stance on Russia, saying Western powers should “sink” oil tankers that are breaching sanctions and helping to fund Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya English, the former UK leader spoke candidly about global conflicts, the future of British politics, and his own unlikely return to frontline politics. The hour-long conversation with presenter Michael Prendergast ranged from Donald Trump’s peacemaking in the Middle East to Keir Starmer’s leadership, Reform UK’s rise, and Johnson’s thoughts on artificial intelligence — including his fondness for ChatGPT.

‘Trump deserves credit for peace’

Discussing the newly brokered peace agreement between Israel and Gaza, Johnson hailed it as “an astonishing piece of good news” and praised Donald Trump for what he called “a moment of great joy and relief” for both Israelis and Palestinians.

“I really pay credit to Donald,” Johnson said. “He exerted American pressure on both Hamas and Netanyahu. It wasn’t easy for Netanyahu — he’s got these guys in his coalition, the ultra right-wing nationalists who don’t support the agreement. But Netanyahu has had the courage to go ahead and do a deal anyway. It’s a very, very hopeful moment.”

Johnson said he believed Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize, calling him “unbelievably effective” and saying: “The great thing about Donald Trump is that his public persona and political persona are completely united. He speaks from the heart.”

However, Johnson added that Trump must now apply the same determination to ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “If he applies to Vladimir Putin the same pressure that he’s put on Hamas, he could win the prize,” Johnson said. “The war in Gaza has been terrible, but the war in Ukraine has killed exponentially more people.”

‘Sink the tankers’

Johnson’s most striking comments came when asked how the West should respond to Russia’s evasion of sanctions.

“Putin’s got all these oil tankers that are breaking the sanctions. Sink them,” he said. “Something should happen to stop this. It has to stay within the law — you tell people on board the boat that their time’s up, they must get off — but then we should stop it.”

The former Prime Minister argued that the international community must act more decisively against countries and companies continuing to buy Russian oil. “They’re funding his war machine,” he said. “Russia is losing, but we need to be tougher. Half of Russia’s oil refineries are now out of action. It’s time to finish the job.”

Starmer, Farage, and the Tories

Turning to domestic politics, Johnson was scathing about Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, accusing him of weakness and hypocrisy.

“He was my opponent. He’s terrible,” Johnson said. “He pretends to be righteous but took all these free suits and £8,000 spectacles from donors. It’s ridiculous. He’s driving people overseas with high taxes. We haven’t seen people leaving Britain like this for 50 years.”

Asked about the threat posed by Reform UK and Nigel Farage, Johnson said it was “unlikely” Farage could become Prime Minister but acknowledged that many voters were “cheesed off” with both main parties.

“The problem with the new guys is that their economic prospectus isn’t that good,” Johnson said. “They’re not much good on Russia and Ukraine either.”

He praised Kemi Badenoch, describing her as “very good” and saying her speech at the Conservative Party conference about helping young people to buy homes was “brilliant.”

“The Tories win when we help young people get property,” he said. “We should be doing much, much better.”

Gaza reconstruction and Tony Blair’s role

Johnson also called for the UK to play a major part in rebuilding Gaza following the peace deal, but said the territory must be “Palestinian-run, without Hamas.”

“There’s got to be some way of giving confidence to investors in Gaza,” he said. “We’ve got to help trigger business investment — that’s the best solution.”

He praised Tony Blair for his behind-the-scenes diplomacy, saying: “He’s worked very hard on this deal, and he should get a lot of praise for helping to put it together.”

‘I love ChatGPT’

In one of the interview’s lighter moments, Johnson expressed enthusiasm for artificial intelligence — and in particular, for ChatGPT.

“One thing that really encourages me is AI,” he said. “I love ChatGPT. It’s fantastic. I just use it. I ask questions and it always says, ‘Oh, your questions are clever. You’re brilliant.’ I love it.”

He said he uses the technology to help him write his books and believes it holds “great promise” for human creativity.

‘I’ve got four under five – that’s enough politics’

When asked if he planned to return to politics, Johnson laughed off the idea.

“I’m very happy,” he said. “I’ve got four children under five. I’ve got to pay for my wife’s kitchen. I’m writing, drawing, painting — it’s a full-time job.”

Comparing a political comeback to “being reincarnated as an olive,” he added: “It’s statistically possible, but unlikely. I want my party to come back and get organised. That’s the best solution.”

Johnson’s legacy

Reflecting on his time in office, Johnson said he remained proud of “helping to give my country back its constitutional legal independence” through Brexit, and of the UK’s rapid vaccine rollout.

“I’m proud that the UK was able to ensure the freedom of another European country and that Ukraine was not crushed,” he said. “The battle is still not over, but at least we helped avert catastrophe.”