Ukraine: Number 10 warns of ‘grave possibility’ of Russian invasion this week
Number 10 has warned there is a “grave possibility” of Russia invading Ukraine this week as diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis continue to falter.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman told journalists today that “there remains a window of opportunity to deescalate and pursue a diplomatic path … we stand ready to have further discussions with our Russian counterparts”.
Johnson also said on a trip to Scotland that it is now “a very, very dangerous, difficult situation, we are on the edge of a precipice but there is still time for President Putin to step back”.
It comes as German chancellor Olaf Scholz today travels to Kyiv today to hold crisis talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“It’s very, very important that the west should stand united, particularly that Nato has done it. It’s been pretty encouraging to see the way countries have pulled together,” Johnson said.
Ukraine today renewed its calls for a meeting with Russia in a bid to avoid a war, after US intelligence suggested over the weekend that an invasion could be just days away.
Putin has increased the military build up around Ukraine’s border, with 140,000 troops now stationed along different points.
The Kremlin continues to insist it has no plans to invade its neighbour, despite increasing amounts of US and UK intelligence suggesting otherwise.
The Ukrainian government last night had their attempts at diplomatic meetings with the Kremlin rebuffed, with Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying today that “we are talking about the movement of Russian troops on Russian territory”.
Peskov also falsely claimed that Ukraine was escalating the situation.
There were concerns over the weekend about a divide in the response to the crisis by different Nato members, with UK defence secretary Ben Wallace likening the attitudes of some western leaders to the appeasement of Nazi Germany.
Wallace was rebuked by Ukraine’s UK ambassador Vadym Prystaiko for saying there had been a “whiff of Munich in the air from some in the west”.
This is a likely attack on Germany and France who have been less hawkish against Russia.
Scholz moved to portray a united Nato front today before his Kyiv meeting with Zelensky, tweeting: “We urgently expect signs of de-escalation from Moscow. Further military aggression would have very serious consequences for Russia. I absolutely agree with our allies on that. We are witnessing a very, very serious threat to peace in Europe.”