The official Ukrainian government tweeted its support for Boris Johnson on Thursday evening, taking meme diplomacy to the next level.
But, shortly afterwards, the account deleted it, following a wave of criticism.
Here’s a screenshot of the original meme, showing Johnson’s face edited onto one of the promotional posters for the hit Netflix series, Better Call Saul, almost concealing the main actor Bob Odenkirk. The title has also been changed to Better Call Boris.
Better Call Saul is about a criminal lawyer who turns to nefarious means in order to get his clients off the hook.
Although there were a few tweets supporting Ukraine’s meme – such as Lord Moylan, former adviser to Johnson when he was the London mayor – most people condemned the tweet for intervening in UK politics.
Law professor at the University of Essex, Steve Peers, responded to the meme: “Have you considered not commenting on other countries’ political processes – with a view to not alienating your broad base of support, and because you simply don’t understand what’s going on there?”
Former MP Andy Sawford also tweeted: “This is very badly judged.”
Johnson, who was ousted from office in July (but formally stepped down in September) made the UK’s support for Ukraine one of the pillars of his final months in No.10.
He visited Kyiv three times since Russia invaded in February, winning over the Ukrainian public in the process and becoming close allies with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
When he announced he would step down in the summer, Zelenskyy’s adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Johnson had realised “the threat of Russian monster” and had always been “at the forefront of supporting Ukraine.”
But, the tweet backing Johnson was mysteriously deleted by Friday morning.
As journalist Peter Jukes noted: “Wow. Ukraine has deleted its ‘Better Call Boris’ Tweet.”
Johnson is expected to run in the race to be the UK’s next PM, having allegedly caught an early flight back from his Caribbean holiday.
It comes after his successor Liz Truss resigned following just 44 days in Downing Street. One of her principle policies, the “mini” budget, left the economy floundering and the value of the pound plummeting.
She then fired her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, and her home secretary Suella Braverman, until it became clear she no longer had the confidence of the Conservative Party and had to resign herself.
Truss previously served as Johnson’s foreign secretary and his international trade secretary.