Prime Minister Boris Johnson issues direct threat to Putin as Russia and Ukraine tensions persist | world News

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Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned that there will be “serious consequences” if Russia invades Ukraine.

Boris Johnson spoke with Mr Putin by phone on Monday to reinforce the UK’s commitment to Ukraine and tell the president that any destabilizing action in the region by Moscow would be a “strategic mistake”.

His call was the latest intervention by Western leaders, who are trying to persuade the Kremlin to withdraw amid growing concern about the buildup of Russian forces in the region.

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4:56 Moscow reporter Diana Magnay asks if Vladimir Putin is about to invade Ukraine

A Number 10 spokesperson said: “He (the prime minister) has reiterated the importance of working through diplomatic channels to de-escalate tensions and identify durable solutions.

“The Prime Minister stressed the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that any destabilizing action would be a strategic mistake with grave consequences.”

Do tensions lead to war?

On December 12, the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Liverpool issued a statement reminding Moscow that “any use of force to change borders is strictly prohibited under international law,” vowing to impose “exorbitant cost” on Russia if it moved against its neighbour.

The European Union announced, on Monday, the imposition of sanctions on the Russian Wagner Group of military contractors accused of seeking to destabilize Ukraine.

According to US intelligence, about 70,000 Russian soldiers were stationed near the borders of Ukraine and began planning for a possible invasion as early as early next year.

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2:42 Tensions escalate between Russia and Ukraine, as satellite imagery shows Russian forces gathering at Ukrainian border

Moscow denied it was preparing an invasion and accused the government in Kiev of stoking tensions in the region by deploying new weapons.

Vladimir Putin compares Donbass war zone in Ukraine to ‘genocide’

The two countries have been feuding since 2014, when Russian forces annexed Crimea and supported a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Last week, US President Joe Biden spoke to Mr. Putin to warn him of “economic consequences you haven’t seen before” if he makes a new incursion.

The Russian president, in turn, is pressing for assurances that NATO will not be expanded to Ukraine and last week likened the Donbass war zone to “genocide”.

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