Ukraine Bashed for 'Better Call Saul' Boris Johnson Meme After Truss Quits

Ukraine is facing backlash after sharing a meme that compares former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the title character of the television show Better Call Saul.

Liz Truss resigned her premiership on Thursday after serving six tumultuous weeks in office, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in U.K. history. Johnson, who himself resigned only months ago amid multiple scandals, is considered one of the top contenders to become the country's next prime minister.

Although all of the major candidates to replace Truss are likely to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, Johnson was considered a particularly strong ally during the first six months of the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Johnson as a "great friend" when he was replaced by Truss in early September.

The official Twitter account of Ukraine seemingly threw its support behind a return for Johnson in the form of a meme on Thursday. The meme features Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk moving a mask of Johnson to cover his face alongside a graphic altered to read "Better Call Boris."

Some reacted to the meme with angry responses that accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere in British politics.

"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?" tweeted Steve Peers, a law professor at the University of Essex.

"Absolutely disgraceful," Irish journalist Andrew Quinn tweeted. "A real slap in the face to all of the people in the UK who have supported Ukraine and welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes. Such an ill advised Tweet. Disgusting."

"Very inappropriate to meddle in a countries internal affairs in this way," tweeted @PeccaviConsults. "Extremely bad judgement by whoever handles this account."

"This is incredibly offensive," tweeted Nisreen Alwan, an associate public health professor at the University of Southampton.

"The British people overwhelmingly support the Ukrainians in their fight for self-determination against this modern day Nazism," podcaster and blogger James Dart tweeted. "The British people also overwhelmingly LOATH Boris Johnson. He's corrupt. He's self-serving. He's Britain Trump. Please stop lionising him."

"This is very badly judged," tweeted Andy Sawford, former member of U.K.'s parliament.

Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum at the U.K.-based think tank Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia program, told Newsweek that the sharing of the meme was "part of meme-phication of global politics and not interference."

"All these negative comments are taking it too seriously, while this should be seen as humour," Lutsevych said. "Boris is hugely popular in Ukraine because of early armaments supply and his strong stance on Putin."

"He was the first Western politician to formulate a pathway to defeat Putin," she added. "In Ukraine people do not understand why he is so hugely unpopular in the UK."

A spokesperson for the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C., declined Newsweek's request for comment on the controversial tweet, while pointing out that the @Ukraine account had deleted the tweet by Friday.

While the Ukraine Twitter account may have shared the meme as a message of support for Johnson, it could also present a mixed message for those who are familiar with the title character and the storyline of Better Call Saul.

The Breaking Bad spinoff starred Odenkirk as lawyer Jimmy McGill, who changed his name to Saul Goodman while becoming increasingly unethical. By the end of the show's final season, which aired this year, the character appeared unlikely to make a triumphant comeback.

Newsweek has reached out to the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. for comment.

Update 10/21, 4:20 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from Chatham House's Orysia Lutsevych and the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, D.C.