PM asks Western leaders to unite against Putin

By Dexter Harris

BORIS Johnson has called for Western leaders to unite against Vladimir Putin and show the Russian leader he will pay a “high price” if he sends his troops into Ukraine.

The Prime Minister arrived at the Munich Security Conference in Germany yesterday to make a plea for “unnecessary bloodshed” to be avoided by pursuing a diplomatic route to prevent a conflict in Eastern Europe.

The annual summit comes against a backdrop of President Joe Biden warning the US has reason to believe Russian forces “intend to attack” Ukraine in the coming days, including targeting the capital Kyiv – a city with a population of 2.8 million people.

Mr Biden told a White

House press briefing on

Friday that he was “convinced” Mr Putin had

“made the decision” to move his military across the border, having spent weeks saying he thought the Russian leader was The undecided. Scottish

Only hours Wedding before his statement, the UK Foreign Show Office is back announced it had decided at to the “temporarily” SEC, move its diplomats Glasgow out of Kyiv, this relocating them to the west weekend. of the country.

The department Main image, said British embassy officials will presenter relocate to Lviv, situated near the border and with former Poland.

With estimates Miss that 150,000 Russian troops are Scotland posted around Ukraine’s borders, Jennifer Mr Johnson has previously called the Reoch situation “very grim”.

But in models comments a made before embarking gown on his by trip to Germany, the Prime Minister Kathleen said “diplomacy can still prevail” if Richmond the West puts on a united front in terms Couture of agreeing punishing sanctions to slap on Moscow. “There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of Western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history,” he said.

“Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Diplomacy can still prevail.

“That is the message I will take to Munich as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia, and the rest of Europe.”

The Bavarian summit will take place against the backdrop of Mr Putin continuing to parade Russia’s military might.

The Russian defence ministry has announced it would be carrying out fresh exercises yesterday involving its strategic nuclear forces.

Mr Putin was expected to observe the drills involving multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in a demonstration that Russia remains a nuclear superpower.

The Russian leader has insisted that the large-scale military exercises with Belarusian forces close to the Ukrainian border are “purely defensive” and do not represent a threat to any other country.

There are concerns among Western allies the Kremlin could use “disinformation” and a possible “false flag” operation to justify an offensive.