Boris Johnson took the helm of a tank and met an unlikely doppleganger in the form of an army sniper during a visit to Estonia today.
The Foreign Secretary went for a ride in a British Challenger tank wearing army fatigues over his suit and tie.
And he appeared to see the funny side when he came face to face with a soldier whose camouflage gear bore an uncanny resemblance to his own famously tousled locks.
Mr Johnson also met troops from Fire Support Company, 5 Rifle Snipper Platoon, who are deployed in Tapa
The Foreign Secretary played down rising tensions with the EU as he joined British troops on exercises in the eastern European state
Mr Johnson went for a ride in a Challenger tank in Tapa, wearing full army camouflage gear over his suit and tie
The Foreign Secretary, who has a habit of grabbing military kit during photo opportunities, seemed to be relishing his experience in the tank. He even had his name emblazoned on the camouflage jacket
The Russian embassy took to Twitter to ridicule Mr Johnson for his photo op, saying his Moscow counterpart Sergei Lavrov did not need to carry out such stunts
UK troops are in Estonia as part of a major Nato mission in the Baltic states to deter Russian aggression.
Speaking to reporters earlier, Mr Johnson also played down rising tensions with the EU over Brexit – saying he had ‘rock solid’ confidence that a deal would be struck.
He insisted it was not ‘beyond the wit of man’ to find solutions for blocks in Brexit talks such as the future of the Irish border.
‘I think we can all work together to come up with a solution on that one. It is not beyond the wit of man.
‘We’ve had a common travel area between the north and the south of Ireland for getting on for a century and we’re going to continue to make that work.’
Asked if he was confident that Brexit Secretary David Davis will get a deal with the EU, Mr Johnson said: ‘Absolutely, with rock solid confidence.’
He also dismissed Brussels’ stance that trade terms can only be considered after the divorce terms are settled.
‘Article 50 makes it very clear that the discussion about the exit of a country must be taken in context with discussion of the future arrangements. And that’s what we’re going to do,’ he said.
Relations with the EU have reached a new low after commission president Jean-Claude Juncker mocked David Davis for lacking ‘stability and accountability’ at an official Brussels meeting.
Mr Juncker claimed the Brexit Secretary was threatening the success of the exit negotiations with an ‘apparent lack of involvement’.
The official record was published as Mr Davis opened the first day of a crucial debate in Parliament on passing Brexit laws.
The Union flag was flying on the Challenger tank as it raced across the ground in Estonia
Mr Johnson pulled the helmet down firmly on his head before the tank started moving
The records revealed Mr Juncker, who has been forced to publicly deny claims he is an alcoholic, slammed Britain’s chief negotiator at a meeting in July with Michel Barnier, the EU’s representative in the talks.
Mr Barnier today tried to play down the reports at a press conference minutes after the shocking comments were made public for the first time.
Mr Davis has faced criticism for not attending every day of the face-to-face negotiating sessions.
Last week he returned to London on Monday night following a brief welcome and returned on Thursday for a press conference.
Mr Juncker’s comments emerged as Mr Barnier released a raft of new papers setting out the EU’s negotiating position on sensitive issues including the future of the Irish border, customs arrangements, intellectual property rights, public procurement and data protection.
Mr Johnson waved for the cameras as the Challenger tank sped over fields and through a wood