Boris Johnson Ukraine documentary: 'Self-serving narcissist' ruins film, says Guardian

Viewers of Boris Johnson's new documentary on Ukraine are warned by a caption: 'This film presents Boris Johnson’s perspective on the conflict... The views expressed are subjective and reflect his own interpretations of events.' The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan called it a 'disclaimer' from a producer who 'saw the rushes and took fright' over a presenter she described as a 'known liar' and 'self-serving narcissist'. The hour-long film on Channel 5, titled *Into Ukraine's Kill Zone*, follows the former prime minister on a 72-hour journey from Kyiv to the eastern frontline. Johnson, who established a close relationship with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russia's 2022 invasion, dons a balaclava and bullet-proof vest, hiding his name to avoid attention. He joins Daily Mail war reporters and Ukrainian soldiers, riding 'the country's most dangerous and bombarded road', eating a colleague's Snickers bar, and exclaiming 'You shot the arse off that one!' after observing a drone strike. He repeatedly refers to guns as '50 cal' and tells an army chaplain, 'I'll pray for Ukraine's victory all right!' The i newspaper's Sarah Carson noted the documentary 'keeps its focus on the subject and not the presenter', describing it as 'straightforward reportage' that visits a bomb factory developing 'toe poppers', a makeshift hospital, and a supermarket open under missile fire. Johnson, freed from diplomatic constraints, calls for the West to 'snap out of its complacency'. But Mangan argues his presence 'undermines the honour of every brave fighter he meets', turning the film into 'a new edition of the Boris Show' that 'should never have made it to TV'. The documentary airs as the war approaches its fifth year, with the question of who it is for lingering.