Truss warns Putin that Ukraine invasion would be ‘massive strategic mistake’
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Liz Truss today reconfirmed the UK’s commitment to impose sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine, with the foreign secretary set to visit Kiev later this month.
Truss told MPs that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has run a long campaign to subvert freedom and democracy in Ukraine” and that “any further military incursion into Ukraine would bring massive consequences”.
Russia built up 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border late last year in a potential sign it is preparing to invade the former Soviet Union nation.
The UK, EU and US are all prepared to impose strict economic sanctions if Putin does not back down.
Truss said the UK would continue to stand beside Ukraine and that she would be making an official visit to the country later this month.
“Any Russian military incursion into Ukraine would be a massive strategic mistake and would come at a severe cost,” she said.
“We will not accept the campaign Russia is waging to subvert its democratic neighbours.
“It is accompanied by baseless rhetoric and disinformation. They falsely cast Ukraine as a threat to justify their aggressive stance. They falsely accuse NATO of provocation. This could not be further from the truth.”