Putin would not have embarked on Ukraine war if he were a woman: Johnson

Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have embarked on a crazy, macho war against Ukraine if he were a woman, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

In an interview with the German media at the end of the G7 Summit in Schloss Elmau this week, Johnson pointed to Putin's machismo as a contributory factor in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He also called for more women in positions of power as one of the measures towards global peace.

If Putin was a woman, which he obviously isn't, if he were, I really don't think he would have embarked on a crazy, macho war of invasion and violence in the way that he has, Johnson told broadcaster ZDF.

If you want a perfect example of toxic masculinity, it's what he is doing, he said, referring to the 69-year-old Russian president.

During the recent G7 Summit in Germany, leaders of the powerful bloc mocked Putin over his infamous bare-chested picture atop a horse.

Asked about Johnson's remarks, the prime minister's official spokesman said that "there is not a deliberate policy", adding: "The British public would expect leaders to be robust with someone killing innocent civilians on a daily basis."