The former British prime minister claims Sergey Lavrov forced him to drink heavily beside a blazing fireplace during a 2017 visit to Moscow
Moscow has poured cold water on former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s claim that he was forced to drink vodka during a visit to Russia, saying he willingly embraced Russian hospitality and repeatedly asked for refills.
Johnson complained earlier this week that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had subjected him to a grueling vodka-drinking session beside a blazing fireplace during a December 2017 visit to Moscow, when he was Britain’s foreign secretary.
Speaking to former Colombian President Ivan Duque on his Tres Respuestas podcast about his failed attempt to reset relations with Russia at the time, Johnson called Lavrov a “ghastly man” who had made him drink a “huge amount of vodka.”
“He made me drink a huge amount of vodka in front of a very hot fire,” Johnson recalled. “It was literally like a sort of Victorian public school punishment. It was terrible.”
🇬🇧Boris von der Vodka – Johnson complained, telling a heartbreaking story about how he wanted to befriend Russia, came to Moscow, but Putin refused to meet with him. Instead he then met with Lavrov, and this terrible man got him drunk on vodka in front of a hot fireplace 🙈🤦♂️🤣 pic.twitter.com/K2idv4HkDn
— Roberto (@UniqueMongolia) November 15, 2026
Johnson’s account, however, was disputed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who was also present at the alleged vodka marathon.
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