Who is Larry C. Johnson, and What is His Relationship With Putin’s Russia?

Speaking recently in the Greek parliament during a debate on a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, former CIA analyst Larry C. Johnson referred to a 1997 agreement between Ukraine and NATO, appearing to suggest a plot to start a war with Russia, and linking this to the current conflict in Ukraine.

“Europe and the United States are to blame for this war in Ukraine. NATO signed an agreement with Ukraine in 1997,” he told parliamentarians.

“Why? Russia was not a military power with the intention of invading Europe. At the time, Russia was in economic chaos. 

“Let’s be clear about this. They wanted to break Russia economically. There was no co-operation, there was no attempt to build peace with Russia.”

He ignores the fact that agreements such as he referred to were also signed with other former Soviet republics at the same time, including Russia itself!

Indeed, the agreements, freely entered into, including by Russia, were intended to ensure the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the states recently freed from the Soviet yoke.

The Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation signed in Paris in 1997 clearly refers to “an enduring political commitment undertaken at the highest political level, to build together a lasting and inclusive peace in the Euro-Atlantic area on the principles of democracy and cooperative security.”

Both sides agreed to refrain from “the threat or use of force against each other as well as against any other state, its sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence in any manner inconsistent with the United Nations Charter and with the Declaration of Principles Guiding Relations Between Participating States contained in the Helsinki Final Act;”

It is Russia, not NATO, that has failed – repeatedly – to honour its commitments in this regard.

In this post-Soviet landscape it was the states themselves that pushed for NATO membership.

Indeed, this fact has been confirmed by General Wesley Clarke, Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1997 to 2000. 

Johnson, as well as blaming NATO and Ukraine for the sins of the Cardinal of the Kremlin, also appears to exonerate Russia from any blame for the 2008 invasion of Georgia, and the subsequent annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. 

Johnson in fact blames Georgian forces for attacking Russian troops, conveniently ignoring the fact that all fighting, and the bombing of civilian populations, took place on Georgian territory.

589 civilians lost their lives in this Russian initiated conflict, with 192,000 displaced. 

Johnson also blames the CIA and MI6 for the Ukrainian Euromaidan of 2013, and presumably by extension for the 108 deaths of innocent civilians at the hands of pro-Russian President Yanukovich’s forces.

Maidan “was part of a broader plan: to strengthen the Ukrainian army and then threaten and possibly destroy Russia,” he has stated.

Again, he offers no evidence whatsoever to support such ludicrous assertions.

The UK appears to get the blame for the failure of the Minsk agreement. Again, no evidence is presented.

In reality, President Volodymyr Zelensky had sought meetings with Vladimir Putin in an attempt to progress Minsk: Putin refused to meet with him.

Of course, such facts have no place in Johnson’s narrative.

Johnson’s reference to Neo-Nazis in Ukraine echoes Kremlin propaganda verbatim. 

Indeed, one of Putin’s stated goals of his “special military operation” – the invasion of Ukraine – was the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine.

Supporters of Putin’s military operation have alleged that Ukraine’s treatment of Russian speakers in the country is comparable with the actions of Nazi Germany.

In this they ignore the fact that since Peter the Great first sought to eliminate the Ukrainian identity in 1720, suppressing Ukrainian culture and language, through to Stalin’s 1933 cancelation of Ukrainisation, Moscow has sought to suppress Ukrainian national identity. 

The also ignore the fact that in Ukraine’s last parliamentary election in 2019, support for far-right candidates was 2%, far lower than in many other European countries.

Johnson, however, like Putin’s supporters, in his anti-west and anti-Ukraine rantings displays an arrogance, rudeness, and a lack of any basic historic or cultural awareness whatsoever.

Also he is consistent: he appears already to be suggesting possible Ukrainian involvement in the recent terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, Russia.

As to Johnson’s motives? We can only speculate.

However, it is noteworthy that as recently as December 2023 he appeared on the show of Russian TV presenter Vladimir Sovoliev. 

Sovoliev is generally considered as little more than a Putin propagandist.

On 18th August 2022, he appeared to suggest attacking Berlin, Paris, London and Brussels using missiles.

He has been sanctioned by the EU and is barred from entering the EU member states so long as the sanctions remain in force. 

All his EU domiciled assets have been frozen, including property by Lake Como in Italy.

As of March 2022 his YouTube channel has been blocked.

However, he appears to have found a kindred spirit in Larry C. Johnson.

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