Johnson on the Brink: How a US President Weighed War Against His Own Allies
- During the corona pandemic, many people had unusual ideas, but Boris Johnson's plan was particularly absurd.
- In spring 2021, Boris Johnson considered a military operation in the Netherlands to seize corona vaccines, as reported by the Guardian, citing Johnson's memoirs.
- Johnson believed Britain had a right to the vaccines since they were developed there.
Boris Johnson’s Absurd Plan to Seize Corona Vaccines
During the corona pandemic, many people had unusual ideas, but Boris Johnson’s plan was particularly absurd.
A Military Operation in the Netherlands
In spring 2021, Boris Johnson considered a military operation in the Netherlands to seize corona vaccines, as reported by the Guardian, citing Johnson’s memoirs. The target was a warehouse in Leiden housing around five million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Britain’s Claim to the Vaccines
Johnson believed Britain had a right to the vaccines since they were developed there. At the time, the EU and Great Britain were arguing over the export of corona vaccines. Lieutenant Doug Chalmers, the deputy chief of the defense staff, confirmed to the prime minister that such an operation was “certainly feasible.”
The Plan’s Details
The plan involved using inflatable boats to cross the sea. Soldiers would enter the resort, secure the vaccines, and take them to the canal ports. However, Chalmers pointed out that carrying out the mission undetected would be difficult. If discovered, Johnson would have had to explain to Britain’s allies why they were invading a long-standing NATO ally.
Abandoning the Plan
Ultimately, Johnson admitted that the plan was insane. He acknowledged that Chalmers was right, and the EU’s threats of export bans further fueled the dispute over vaccine delivery.