Boris Johnson Admits to “Nuts” Plan to Invade the Netherlands
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has disclosed in his upcoming memoir, Unleashed, that he contemplated an invasion of the Netherlands. His goal was to retrieve millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which he believed had been “kidnapped” by the European Union.
The then-prime minister was reportedly incensed over the European Union’s restrictions on vaccine exports, which left around five million AstraZeneca doses stranded in a warehouse in Leiden, Netherlands. The doses had been produced as part of the long-standing supply chain of the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.
In his memoir, Johnson argues that the vaccines were rightfully British, as they had been developed with support from the UK government. Johnson tasked the UK Armed Forces to explore the feasibility of a covert operation to seize the vaccines.
“We brought in military top brass to ask whether it might be technically feasible to launch an aquatic raid on a warehouse in Leiden,” Johnson writes, outlining a plan that would see one team fly into Amsterdam while another would cross the Channel in rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) under cover of darkness.
According to the book, the deputy chief of the defence staff, Lt. Gen. Doug Chalmers, confirmed the technical feasibility of such a raid. “He explained how we could do it,” Johnson writes, detailing how the teams would rendezvous at the target site, secure the vaccines, and use an articulated lorry to transport them back to the UK.
However, Johnson was quickly warned that such an operation would not go undetected. Lt. Gen. Chalmers pointed out that Covid lockdowns were in place in Belgium and the Netherlands, making it unlikely that the covert operation could proceed unnoticed.
“If we are detected, we will have to explain why we are effectively invading a long-standing NATO ally,” Chalmers told Johnson, leading him to admit in retrospect that the idea was “nuts.”
Johnson’s memoir portrays a former prime minister under tremendous pressure, driven by a “paramount duty” to protect the lives of British citizens as Covid-19 swept through the UK. At the time, Britain was outpacing the European Union in its vaccination rollout, having vaccinated approximately 30% of its population by March 2021, compared to only 8% in the EU. The shortage of vaccines and Johnson’s perception of the EU’s actions led to a “pencil-snapping, bin-kicking rage,” as he felt that Brussels was acting out of “malice and spite.”
“The EU was treating us with malice and with spite [because] we were vaccinating our population much faster than they were, and the European electorate had long since noticed,” Johnson writes. The EU had launched a legal battle against AstraZeneca, blocking the export of the vaccine to the UK despite what Johnson claims was a “bomb proof” contract securing the first 100 million doses.
Adding to Johnson’s frustration were comments from French President Emmanuel Macron, who claimed that the AstraZeneca vaccine was “quasi-ineffective” for those over 65, leading to a standoff between the EU and the UK over the safety and distribution of the vaccine.
Johnson’s aggressive stance reflected broader tensions between the UK and the EU, exacerbated by the UK’s “success” in implementing its own vaccination program after leaving the EU. “The frustration of EU governments was, of course, being aggravated by the success of Brexit Britain,” he wrote.
Ultimately, Johnson conceded that a military operation to seize the vaccines “would not have improved relations with the EU.” However, he remains incensed about the situation, claiming that the EU’s reluctance to allow the transfer of vaccines was tantamount to “willing to let British people die rather than acknowledge the possibility that there might be an upside to Brexit.”
Johnson’s memoir is not only about international politics and vaccine wars; it also offers a more personal perspective on the pandemic. In Unleashed, he reveals that he nearly died from Covid-19, an illness that put him in the Intensive Care Unit in April 2020.
“Without the round-the-clock effort of two dedicated nurses, I would have carked it,” he states.
This personal brush with death may have influenced his subsequent decisions and mindset during the pandemic, including his near-willingness to consider actions as extreme as invading a NATO ally to secure vaccines for the UK.
In an unexpected turn, Johnson’s memoir also reveals that he was asked to give a “pep talk” to Prince Harry to dissuade him from leaving the UK. The informal meeting between the then-prime minister and the Duke of Sussex took place in January 2020, during a UK-Africa investment summit in London.
According to Johnson, sources close to Harry confirm that the former prime minister encouraged both him and Meghan Markle to remain in the UK. Despite the conversation, Prince Harry chose to step down from royal duties and move to Canada the very next day.
Multiple sources dispute Johnson’s claim that Buckingham Palace requested his intervention, saying that the meeting was not arranged at the palace’s behest.
The release of Unleashed comes at a delicate time for the Conservative Party, with the party conference set to begin soon and a leadership race underway. Johnson, who will not attend the conference, has also addressed the “partygate” scandal in his memoir, in which he denies using evenings in Downing Street to party with colleagues during Covid lockdowns. He describes the investigation led by Sue Gray into rule breaches as a “witch hunt.”
The revelations about Johnson’s contemplation of military action against the Netherlands have added a layer of complexity to his legacy. While some will see his musings as the result of a desperate leader during unprecedented times, others may view the episode as a sign of poor judgment and a lack of diplomacy.
Information for this briefing was found via The Telegraph and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
