Tony Blair: Putin cannot use Iraq to legitimize Ukraine

Monday marks 20 years since former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with US President George W. Bush, launched Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Iraq without a UN order. In a recent interview, Blair denied the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin profited from defying Western powers weakened by the massive Iraq war, beginning in 2014 and ending last year’s full run. His own aggression against Ukraine that extended to aggression.

“If he didn’t use that excuse (Iraq), he would use another,” Britain’s most successful Labor leader said in an interview with AFP and fellow European news agencies ANSA, DPA and EFE. Blair pointed out that Saddam launched two regional wars, ignored multiple UN resolutions, and launched chemical attacks against his own people.

Ukraine, by contrast, has a democratic government and did not pose a threat to its neighbors when Putin invaded. “At least we can say that we are trying to get rid of tyrants and introduce democracy,” he said.

“Now we can discuss all the consequences, etc. His (Putin) intervention in the Middle East (Syria) was to support tyrants and reject democracy. All propaganda must be treated without the respect it deserves.”