Boris Johnson warns Russian invasion would be disastrous

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned Russia that invading Ukraine would be “disastrous” and a “painful, violent and bloody business”.

Speaking as the Foreign Office pulled some embassy staff out of Ukraine, the PM said the situation was “pretty gloomy” but war was not inevitable.

He said the UK was “leading on creating a package of economic sanctions” against Russia and was supplying defensive weaponry to Ukraine.

Nato is putting forces on standby.

It says this is to reinforce its defenses and for the purposes of deterrence and is also sending additional ships and fighter jets to member states in eastern Europe as a response to the continuing build-up of Russian forces.

Russia has denied plans for military action, but an estimated 100,000 troops have amassed on the border with the head of Nato warning of a risk of fresh conflict in Europe.

The Kremlin has accused Nato of escalating tensions with the move. Russia considers the alliance as a threat and is demanding legal guarantees that it will not expand further east, including into Ukraine. But the US has said the issue at stake is Russian aggression, not Nato expansion.

Mr. Johnson said: “The intelligence is very clear that there are 60 Russian battle groups on the borders of Ukraine, the plan for a lightning war that could take out Kyiv is one that everybody can see.

“We need to make it very clear to the Kremlin, to Russia, that that would be a disastrous step.”

Mr. Johnson added that the UK stood “four-square with the people of Ukraine”.

Downing Street said there were no plans to send British combat troops to defend Ukraine.

The prime minister’s official spokesman added that while the government would not speculate about the details of sanctions, “there will be significant economic measures put in place” if Russia invades.

Officials say there have been no specific threats to British diplomats but about half of the staff working in Kyiv will return to the UK. The US has ordered relatives of its embassy staff to leave, saying an invasion could come “at any time”.

The embassy moves were described as precautionary, and nothing specific is thought to have occurred in the past 24 hours to have triggered the decisions of the US and UK. The British Embassy in Kyiv remains open to carry out “essential work”, the Foreign Office said.

About 30 British diplomats – including the ambassador – remain in Ukraine.