Boris Johnson has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stand down as he underlined ‘the evidence is clear’ that Moscow was planning an invasion of Ukraine
Boris Johnson has called the situation in Ukraine “very, very dangerous” and urged Vladimir Putin to step back from “the edge of a precipice”.
The Prime Minister has called on the Russian President to stand down as around 130,000 troops and heavy fire power are amassed at the Russian border with Ukraine.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss chaired an emergency COBR meeting on Monday afternoon, while the PM traveled back to London after cutting short a trip to Cumbria.
Mr Johnson is expected to lead a fresh COBR meeting on Tuesday.
He told reporters the “evidence is pretty clear” that Russia is planning an invasion and that there were “all sorts of other signs that show that there are serious preparations” going on, but there was “still time” for Mr Putin to step back.
On a visit to Scotland, Mr Johnson said: “This is a very, very dangerous, difficult situation, we are on the edge of a precipice but there is still time for President (Vladimir) Putin to step back.”
He called for more dialogue and urged Russia to avoid a “disastrous” invasion.
Warning Mr Putin needed to understand the economic and political consequences if he launched an invasion of Ukraine, the PM said Europe needed to cuts its reliance on Russian hydrocarbons – including the Nord Stream pipelines.