Boris Johnson secretly met Maduro to stop him helping Putin — Times

This was reported by the Sunday Times.

According to the outlet, during the meeting, Johnson tried to convince the leader of the oil-rich South American country not to provide military support to its ally Russia.

During his administration, Johnson openly supported Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion. However, it is unusual for a former politician who is no longer in government to engage in sensitive high-level talks with a foreign government.

The former prime minister was in Venezuela for less than 24 hours, having flown to the country on a private jet from a vacation home in the neighboring Dominican Republic.

According to Johnson's spokesperson, the trip was made with the active support of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and with the knowledge of the Foreign Secretary.

Background: Venezuelan President Maduro is isolated from Western countries and is subject to US sanctions. He is accused of holding undemocratic elections and trying to plunge the country into poverty despite its oil wealth. In addition, he has repeatedly declared his support for Russia and accused the United States of invading Ukraine.