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Downing Street is working on a package of military support and economic aid for Ukraine as the threat of a Russian invasion grows, a government spokesperson said on Sunday, as reported by Reuters.
“The crisis on Ukraine’s border has reached a critical juncture. All the information we have suggests Russia could be planning an invasion of Ukraine at any moment… There is still a window of opportunity for de-escalation and diplomacy, and the prime minister will continue to work tirelessly alongside our allies to get Russia to step back from the brink,” reads the statement.
Read also: Biden called Ukraine’s Zelensky amid diplomatic efforts to defuse crisis
London’s de-escalation of the Ukraine-Russia tensions comes at a difficult time for Johnson domestically, with critics saying he is distracted by the police investigation centered on Downing Street.
Last week, PM Johnson said: “This is probably the most dangerous moment, I would say, in the course of the next few days, in what is the biggest security crisis that Europe has faced for decades, and we’ve got to get it right.” UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss held talks in Moscow with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, assuring that the UK was backing a strong line that Russia should not be able to prohibit countries from choosing to join NATO.
Read also: Part of OSCE monitors pulled out of Ukraine due to security situation deterioration
February 9, a plane with military aid from UK arrived in Ukraine. February 10, Britain issued a new law expanding the number of Russian-linked individuals who may be on the sanctions list in the event of an invasion of Ukraine.
All these events took place amid the US has warned of the “very distinct possibility” of a Russian invasion of Ukraine in the next few days, potentially involving an overwhelming attack on Kyiv, and told all remaining Americans to leave the country in the next 48 hours. New US intelligence suggests Russia could intend to attack Ukraine before the end of the Olympics (February 20). The White House believes air attacks are likely first. Russian President Putin gave no indication in a phone call with his French counterpart Macron that he was preparing to invade Ukraine, a French presidency official said on February 12.
