As Russia menacingly masses 120,000 troops on the border of Europe's largest democratic country, Ukraine, local Hillingdon historian and author David Keys, who lives in Boris Johnson's Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, has fired a political broadside at the Prime Minister.
Mr Keys - who has written extensively on international political history - is accusing the Tory leader of having assisted Putin's Russia by dividing Europe with an ultra-hard Brexit, by souring Britain's relationship with our closest neighbour, France and by politically weakening the United Kingdom itself.
In a detailed open letter to Hillingdon's best known MP (published today in Hillingdon Vision), Mr Keys states that "it's quite clear that the Russian president wants to re-establish the Soviet empire – and that he wants to divide and weaken our continent in order to achieve that".
And Mr Keys claims that "by orchestrating Brexit", Mr Johnson "albeit unintentionally did Mr Putin's bidding".
In the open letter, Mr Keys says that the "government knows full well that Russia interfered in our Brexit referendum in order to help promote and secure disunity in Europe" – and yet the government Mr Johnson was part of "deliberately refused to investigate Brexit-related subversion (no doubt, for fear it might make unwelcome and embarrassing discoveries)"
Mr Keys, believes that "too many people" in the Prime Minister's party "also sung Russia's tune regarding Donald Trump".
"As we all know, Russia interfered in American politics and elections to help get Trump into the White House" – and, sadly, too many Tories "were prepared to support him," says Mr Keys. "By doing so they assisted a Putin-backed right-wing American maverick who undermined Western unity and stability".
"And by pursuing a confrontational relationship with our fellow Europeans" Mr Johnson "also helped create ever-increasing divisions within our continent.
"To confront the clear and present Russian threat, we need pan-European cooperation. But, over fisheries and over the controversial Australia/US/UK submarines deal", Mr Johnson succeeded "in utterly souring our relationship with our nearest ally and neighbour, France".
In his open letter, Mr Keys then tells the Prime Minister:
"Of course your particularly extreme hard-line brand of Brexit has driven Scotland further towards independence – and threatens the very future of our United Kingdom (Putin must think it's Christmas everyday!!)
"To make matters worse your party has reduced the size of the British Army by 26 percent over the past decade. Again, the Russian president must be celebrating".
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