Boris Johnson today warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would cause a global disaster. Vladimir Putin is continuing to build troops at the Ukrainian border.
According to the UK’s Prime Minister, any incursion of any size would result in a ‘disaster not only for Ukraine but Russia as well’. NATO’s allies are trying to prevent the Russian dictator from initiating an attack which the Pentagon says is imminent.
The following is the remark of Mr Johnson Biden seemed to indicate that Russia would not make a minor incursion into Ukraine, prompting only limited NATO responses.
Britain has provided military aid to Russia in order to prevent an attack from Putin. Johnson stated today that he is ‘four square’ behind Russian sovereignty.
Boris Johnson, who warned of a ‘disaster’ for the world if Russia invades Ukraine as Putin keeps assembling his forces at the border with Ukraine, has remained silent.
Putin has demanded that Ukraine is not allowed to join NATO. This was rejected so far by Joe Biden (right).
The White House was forced to clarify after Ukrainian officials accused Biden of giving Putin the ‘green signal’ to invade. Staff insist that he meant non-military cyber attacks.
Tensions between Russia & Ukraine are building ever since Putin started massing troops at the border in November 2013.
Since then, he has issued a series of demands to NATO. These include that Ukraine is banned from joining the alliance as well as that ex-Soviet countries be freed from all military personnel.
The US and allies have been forced to negotiate, but NATO describes most Russian demands as non-starters.
Putin continues to build his army despite not making any progress on talks and has announced large-scale wargames that may be used to cover up an invasion.
Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, the dictatorial leader from Belarus, announced Wednesday joint war games. Troops began to move onto Belarusian territory.
Today, Russia’s defence ministry announced a huge naval drill that will take place between January and February in four seas – Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Mediterranean.
The drill will involve ‘more than 140 warships and support vessels, more than 60 aircraft, 1,000 pieces of military equipment, and about 10,000 servicemen’, the ministry said.
On January 19, satellite images show a Battlegroup at Voronezh located around 200m from Ukraine’s borders. Moscow is ramping up military construction along the border in preparation of a nine-month war.
This region is on a knife edge since last year’s end when Moscow sent 100,000 troops and also tanks and missiles close to the border.
After months of building up troops at the Ukraine-Russia border, satellite images from January 19 show rows of tanks and other support equipment massed in Yelnya.
Another image shows military equipment at Klintsky (pictured), which are only 18 miles away from Belarus’s frontier, and not more than 31 miles from Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Satellite images dated January 19 show a battlegroup deployed at Voronezh base around 200 miles from the Ukraine border with rows of tank artillery and support equipment massed at Yelnya, 77 miles from Russia’s border with Belarus.
Additional images depict military equipment collected at Klintsky (below) and Klimovo (below), which are only 18 and 31 respectively from the Belarusian frontiers and Russia’s borders with Ukraine.
Video footage showed multiple missile launchers and fighting vehicles being transported by trains over the Russian border. They were also carrying general transport trucks.
This week’s military massing in Belarus adds to Russia’s forces to the east of Ukraine as well as south in Crimea and the Black Sea, where some 100,000 are believed to be in place.
According to new analysis, only a small portion of military hardware and personnel are expected to travel on the announced training grounds for these exercises.
According to Radio Liberty, the other half stopped at Gomel in a region that was only 40 km from Chernihiv, Ukraine, and 90km away from Kiev.
Russia has been repeatedly warned by the West that it will pay a high price for economic and political sanctions if it invades Ukraine.
Biden caused controversy hours before Blinken reached Berlin to coordinate any response to Russia. He appeared to suggest that an ‘incident minor’ could prompt a less aggressive reaction by NATO allies.
“It’s okay if it’s minor, but then we have to fight about what and how to proceed,’ he stated.
In an effort to deter Vladimir Putin’s troops attacking Ukraine, the UK has sent military support to Ukraine.
After the UK had agreed to provide military assistance to Ukraine, a shipment of British antitank missiles arrived in Kiev this week.
The White House quickly clarified the remarks, and Jen Psaki, Press Secretary at the White House, promised that any Russian-backed movement in Ukraine would be subject to’severe retaliation’.
Dmitry Peskov of Kremlin spokesmen said that statements like these “can facilitate destabilisation” because they “can inspire some hotheads to Ukraine with false hope.”
Given the entrenched positions of both sides, talks among Western and Russian officials held in Geneva, Brussels, Vienna but to no avail.
NATO allies indicated their willingness to talk, but Moscow requested a written reply on its proposed security guarantees.
Russians are seeking measures to restrict military activities in ex-Warsaw Pact states and ex Soviet countries who joined NATO following the Cold War.
However, Wednesday’s meeting in Kyiv saw Blinken state that he will not give a formal reply to Lavrov at Geneva talks on Friday.
Putin has to dispel any fears of Moscow invading its pro-Western neighbour.
The Russian-backed Ukrainian forces have been at war in the two separatist eastern regions of Ukraine since 2014. This was after Russia annexed Crimea.
Over 13,000 have died, with the most recent Russian troop buildup also causing great concern for neighbours in Baltics.
Washington announced Thursday that it approved requests by the Baltic states to transport US-made arms to Ukraine.
Britain also stated it was sending defensive weapons to Ukraine to assist with its security.
Kyiv made repeated requests to Germany to send arms, but this request was not answered.
Annalena Bock, foreign minister, said Monday that Germany would do its best to secure Ukraine. But she also rejected the demand for arms shipments.
Berlin’s controversial Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline could be a sticking issue among allies. It will provide double supply of low-cost natural gas from Russia to Germany.
In the midst of the tensions between Moscow and Germany, Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor, has warned about the consequences of the planned pipeline. The pipe is currently operational, but it’s still not in use while the approval of Germany’s energy regulator awaits.