‘No indications of Russia de-escalating’ as PM flies to Ukraine
Boris Johnson told ministers there were ‘no indications’ of Russia backing down.
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Your support makes all the difference.Russia is conducting military exercises on a scale “never seen before” on the Ukrainian border, the head of the UK’s armed forces has warned, in “a pattern of coercion and intimidation” against the West.
Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin addressed a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Downing Street said, as Boris Johnson flew to Ukraine in a bid to quell tensions between Russia and the former Soviet state.
But before boarding his flight Mr Johnson told his Cabinet that the situation was “deeply concerning and that there were no indications of Russia de-escalating with more than 100,000 troops currently amassed on Ukraine’s border”.
Sir Tony said “a significant proportion of Russia’s land combat power was now gathered on the western border, coupled with deterrence operations such as military exercises on a scale never seen before”.
No 10 said he warned this “fitted into a pattern of coercion and intimidation that sought to undermine the values and principles of the West”.
Mr Johnson is expected to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, where it is thought he will again urge the leader to dial down the aggression.
A planned call on Monday had to be rescheduled due to the Prime Minister defending himself in Westminster over the partygate allegations engulfing No 10.
In Kyiv, Mr Johnson will discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the support the UK can offer, before the two leaders hold a joint press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mr Johnson had been “very much spearheading the international response to this”.
He insisted that “totting up the numbers of calls” was “not necessarily the sole arbitrating factor of how this is decided” when he was asked about French President Emmanuel Macron holding two calls with President Putin in four days.
Mr Johnson, who travelled on a chartered plane from Stansted with staff and a small pool of journalists late on Tuesday morning, last spoke to the Russian leader in December.
The Government announced overnight that £88 million in aid would be sent to Ukraine to support the country.
The cash – part of the UK’s Good Governance Fund – will help “support stable governance and energy independence”, by supporting transparency and anti-corruption initiatives and efforts to reduce Ukraine’s reliance on Russian energy supplies.
But the cash injection and the Prime Minister’s visit have been criticised as being too little too late.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran said: “Britain deserves so much better than having Boris Johnson represent us on the world stage. He’s been missing in action while war looms in Europe – and while he might be playing catch-up now, it’s too little, too late.
“This is the man who picked pleading with his backbenchers over talking tough to Vladimir Putin. He’s spent the last month phoning wavering Tory MPs when he should have been meeting foreign leaders.”
Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: “The situation in Ukraine is immensely serious. We want diplomacy to succeed.
“This crisis requires the attention of a focused Prime Minister, but Boris Johnson is playing catch up and the Government is in disarray. Yesterday he missed a call with Putin because he was in Parliament defending the indefensible.”
Meanwhile former Tory leadership hopeful Rory Stewart told Times Radio the investigation into parties held across Downing Street and Whitehall had distracted from the crisis in Ukraine.
Mr Stewart, who previously worked as a diplomat, said it was “embarrassing”, and added: “This idea that somehow Boris Johnson is, you know, single-handedly defending Ukraine from Russia is pure fantasy. Pure fantasy.”
It comes as the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee launched a new inquiry into the “dirty money” associated with corruption.
Committee chairman and Tory MP Tom Tugendhat said the Government had “done little to address these dangers”, and added: “As a global financial centre, the UK is in a unique position to act and to protect against threats to the rules-based international order.
“Russia’s intimidation of Ukraine, and the pressure the Kremlin is putting on other European states, makes it clear we must act.”
On Monday, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced plans for legislation with new powers to sanction individuals and businesses linked to the Russian state and she said those sharing responsibility for the Kremlin’s “aggressive, destabilising action” could have their assets in the UK frozen.
Ms Truss was meant to join Mr Johnson on the trip to Kyiv but tested positive for coronavirus on Monday evening.
No 10 said the Prime Minister took a Covid test which was negative before travelling.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Obviously he’s seen the Foreign Secretary a number of times, he’ll continue to take daily Covid tests in line with the current rules.”