Vladimir Putin could drag out Ukraine crisis for months, says Liz Truss

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After a meeting of Nato defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general, said the move was designed to “strengthen Nato’s deterrence and defence”, as he warned that Russia’s aggression was the “new normal”.

“Moscow has made it clear that it is prepared to contest the fundamental principles that have underpinned our security for decades, and to do so by using force,” said Mr. Stoltenberg. “I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe.”

His warning was echoed by Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of state, who said: “There’s a difference between what Russia says and what it does, and what we’re seeing is no meaningful pullback. On the contrary, we continue to see forces , especially forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to mass at the border.”

US officials are concerned by Russian claims that the Ukrainian government is plotting to attack the separatist-held east of the country.

Kyiv denies any intention to launch military operations on Donetsk and Luhansk, which have been in separatist hands since war began in 2014, leaving 13,000 people dead. But Western officials fear Moscow will invade Ukraine after staging a “false flag” attack on the region.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said on Wednesday: “There could be a range of false flags and pretexts we expect would precede an invasion and we remain in that window.

“Those could include, but not be limited to, claims of provocation in Donbas, false state media reports – everybody should keep their eyes open and aware – faked videos, false claims about chemical weapons, or accounts of attacks on Russian shoulders that have not actually happened.”

Mikhail Popov, the deputy secretary of Russia’s security council, said on Wednesday that a Ukrainian provocation was “highly likely,” telling Rossiyskaya Gazeta: “European nations will share responsibility for Kyiv’s provocations against Donetsk and Luhansk that are highly likely to go ahead, including those involving nationalist fighters and mercenaries.”

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