Boris Johnson said Europe should be prepared for “something absolutely disastrous happening very soon”, after crisis talks on Ukraine with Nato’s chief, Jens Stoltenberg.
The British Prime Minister issued a dire warning as he began a day of diplomatic meetings in Brussels and Warsaw amid the increasing threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking after their meeting at Nato’s headquarters in Brussels, Mr Johnson and Mr Stoltenberg gave equally gloomy assessments of the “dangerous” situation facing the former Soviet nation and other countries in the region.
Asked if he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to invade Ukraine, Mr Johnson said: “I honestly don’t think a decision has yet been taken, but that doesn’t mean that it is impossible that something absolutely disastrous could happen very soon indeed.”
He said British intelligence on the security situation in the region “remains grim” but stressed that the UK’s commitment to European security was “unconditional and immovable”.
“This is probably the most dangerous moment, I would say, in the next few days, in what is the biggest security crisis that Europe has faced for decades. We’ve got to get it right,” he said.
Liz Truss, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, received a frosty reception by her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, when she arrived in Moscow for talks.
After their two-hour meeting on Thursday, she said he had reiterated to her the Kremlin’s position that it has no intention of invading Ukraine. But she suggested such words were empty unless they were backed up by actions.
Standing alongside her Russian counterpart at a joint press conference, Ms Truss struck a no-nonsense tone and said Russia's 100,000 troops, as well as military equipment, stationed on Ukraine’s border must be “moved elsewhere because at present it is in a very threatening posture”.
She said that while diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis would continue, “it is vitally important that the UK and its Nato allies are prepared for all eventualities”. Highlighting the UK’s tougher legislation to impose sanctions, she said Britain would be “ready [to respond] in the event of an incursion”.
“There is still time for Russia to end its aggression towards Ukraine and pursue the path of diplomacy. But Nato is very clear – if that path is not chosen, there will be severe consequences, for Russia, Ukraine and the whole of Europe,” she said.
“If there were to be a Russian incursion into Ukraine, the Ukrainians will fight. This would be a prolonged and drawn-out conflict.”
Mr Lavrov responded by taking a swipe at Ms Truss, calling her demand for the movement of Russian troops away from their positions “regrettable”, and said he found it “interesting and curious” to hear her say actions must follow words.
“As far as words and actions are concerned, we always have believed that words and actions should be in tune, in sync,” he said.
“The demands to remove the Russian troops from the Russian territory cause regret. We don’t want to threaten anyone. It’s us who are facing threats.”
In a sign of the chilly atmosphere at the talks, Mr Lavrov said “ideological approaches, ultimatums and moralising is a road to nowhere”.
He refuted Nato’s claim that it is a defensive alliance, saying “it has moved very close to Russia’s borders”. He said this had happened despite Moscow receiving “vehement assurances that Nato would not move eastwards”.
After rejecting Ms Truss’s demand, he indicated force levels would fall once military exercises had been completed, at which point “the West will likely claim that it has forced Russia to de-escalate”.
“It’s selling hot air,” he said.
Relations between London and Moscow have soured, and Ms Truss’s trip to Russia is the first by a British foreign secretary in more than four years.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said Ms Truss had “made clear that Russia needed to live up to the international commitments it had entered into.”
“She added that any further Russian invasion of Ukraine would have massive consequences and incur severe costs,” the representative said.
The foreign secretary emphasised that Russian aggression was “counterproductive” and had fuelled tensions to which Nato and Ukraine “had to respond”. Ms Truss also noted each nation’s right to choose it won security arrangement and “rejected the notion that improving one nation’s security threatened another’s”. This was in reference to Ukraine’s ambitions to join Nato. Ms Truss also offered an invitation to Mr Lavrov to visit London for further talks.
“The foreign secretary said as permanent members of the UN Security Council, the UK and Russia had a responsibility to maintain international peace and security and the pair discussed cooperation on addressing Iran’s nuclear programme and the situation in Afghanistan,” the spokesperson added.
“The foreign secretary noted that our differences were with the aggressive policy of the Russian government towards Ukraine, not with the Russian people." Ms Truss put the ball firmly in Moscow's court when it comes to any improvement in bilateral relations, saying it would only be possible by Russia "choosing to deescalate and taking the path of diplomacy.”
Speaking after his meeting in Brussels, Boris Johnson reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to Nato and said the crisis was not merely about Russia and Ukraine but about upholding the founding principles of the transatlantic military alliance.
“If we can keep a strong grip on those fundamental principles that define our alliance and combine strong deterrence with patient diplomacy, then we can find a way through this crisis. But the stakes are very high and this is a very dangerous moment. And at stake are the rule that protect every nation, every nation, big and small.”
In his address, the Prime Minister looked to history to inspire confidence in fellow Nato members, recalling the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 as the moment when “the people of Europe made it clear they wanted a future where their freedom and their security are inextricably tied together”.
He said Nato “must oppose any return to the days when the fates of nations are decided over their heads by a handful of great powers”.
During the talks, Mr Johnson had been expected to reiterate an offer to strengthen defence, including doubling the number of UK troops in Estonia, sending more RAF jets to create a squadron in southern Europe, and dispatching a Type 45 destroyer and HMS Trent, an offshore patrol vessel, to the eastern Mediterranean.
Mr Stoltenberg thanked the UK for its continued commitment to Nato. He said he had written to Mr Lavrov to offer more talks.
“We are prepared to listen to Russia’s concerns and ready to discuss ways to uphold and strengthen the fundamental principles of European security that we all have signed up to,” he said.
But he added: “Nato will not compromise on core principles – the right of each nation to choose its own path and Nato’s ability to protect and defend all allies.”
A Downing Street representative said Mr Johnson and Mr Stoltenberg had discussed Nato’s response to “Russian belligerence on Ukraine’s border” and agreed to continue to work with all member states to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.
“The prime minister set out his plan to bolster UK military commitments to Nato, including by sending warships to eastern Europe and increasing UK fighter jets stationed in south east Europe, to provide reassurance and support to allies in the region,” the representative said.
“They agreed on the need for continued deterrence to complement diplomatic efforts, and the Nato secretary general thanked the prime minister for his staunch support of Nato.”
The prime minister told Mr Stoltenberg he “feared for European stability and security” if Nato members failed to continue their pressure on Russia to de-escalate the situation.
On Thursday morning Mr Johnson embarked on a day of European travel in a bid to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to Nato.
After his meeting with Mr Stoltenberg in Brussels, Mr Johnson headed to Poland for further crisis talks with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. This week, the UK announced it was sending an extra 350 Royal Marines to Poland to support Polish troops, who arrived on Thursday morning. The deployment was in addition to the 290 British military personnel already stationed there. There are also 850 UK soldiers in Estonia, leading a Nato battle group in the former Soviet nation.
On Wednesday night Downing Street announced that 1,000 British troops were being put on standby in case of a humanitarian crisis in eastern Europe if the current Russian military build-up leads to war.
British officials warned any further Russian incursion into its former Soviet neighbour would spark a “humanitarian disaster” leading to a mass displacement of people, which would particularly affect countries such as Nato members Poland and Lithuania.
The additional troops could also be used to provide further support to allies in the region if required.
Speaking in Warsaw, Mr Johnson said British troops are “standing shoulder to shoulder” with Polish and other Nato soldiers and accused the Kremlin of bullying Ukraine.
“Poland and the UK won’t accept a world in which a powerful neighbour can bully or attack their neighbours,” Mr Johnson said.
Mr Morawiecki said members of the military alliance must stand together because the “political objective of President Putin is to dismantle Nato”.
The Polish leader made a direct appeal to Germany regarding its controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which connect the country to Russia, and bypasses Ukraine. He urged Berlin to adopt a tougher stance with Moscow and “announce as soon as possible that the gas pipeline should not be used as blackmail.”
Downing Street said Mr Johnson and his Polish counterpart had agreed on the importance of pursuing dialogue with Russia while also “ensuring a wide coalition of countries had a coordinated package of sanctions ready to go”. After their meeting, the pair were due to travel to a military base to meet Nato armed forced, including UK troops.
Before setting off on his travels, Mr Johnson said the West must stand firm in the face of Mr Putin’s “coercive diplomacy”.
Mr Putin has called for assurances that Ukraine will never be allowed to join Nato, a request which has been rejected by the military pact.
“When Nato was founded, allies made a historic undertaking to safeguard the freedom of every member state," Mr Johnson said.
“The UK remains unwavering in our commitment to European security. What we need to see is real diplomacy, not coercive diplomacy.
“As an alliance we must draw lines in the snow and be clear there are principles upon which we will not compromise.
“That includes the security of every Nato ally and the right of every European democracy to aspire to Nato membership.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will also travel to Brussels for a separate meeting with Mr Stoltenberg on Thursday afternoon.
In an interview with the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Ben Wallace, the UK’s Defence Secretary, touched on the possible deployment of the 1,000 British troops who have been put on standby.
Asked where exactly the soldiers could be sent, he said “wherever there were consequences from any Russian invasion to Ukraine that were going to be felt particularly badly or that would risk undermining stability”.
“It could be anywhere from the high north in the Arctic all the way to southern Europe,” he said.
Mr Wallace is expected to travel to Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian defence minister Sergey Shoigu.
Lord Ricketts, who served as Britain’s permanent secretary from 2003 to 2006, said Britain had played a vital role in “showing other Nato member states that you need not just words, but willingness to put your troops into the areas closer to Russia”.
He said Nato needs “both diplomacy and deterrence” as part of its strategy to address Russian aggression towards Ukraine.
“Good to see Britain at the heart of a diplomatic surge at the moment,” he told Sky News.
Fabrice Pothier, former head of policy planning at Nato, said Mr Johnson had “managed to score some significant points” from the military alliance because of the leading role the UK has played in diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis. He told Sky News that Britain has shown it remains a “European power”.
“However, the real question mark is whether Johnson and the UK can be part of the solution,” he said.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin has “all the reason to keep the pressure because he’s getting face time and he’s getting concessions from the West and Nato, so why should he stop?”.
In his assessment of the security crisis straddling Russia and Europe, Mr Pothier said: “We are probably further away from immediate aggression but we are not closer [to] a solution because what Putin wants is [what] we – but also the Ukrainians – cannot and will not give.”
