Boris to spell out invasion risks to Kremlin

‘Determined to avoid bloodshed’

BORIs Johnson is to issue a direct warning to Vladimir Putin about the consequences of invading ukraine.

In a phone call next week the Prime Minister is expected to demand the Kremlin ‘steps back’ from the brink of war in eastern europe.

Mr Johnson will warn Mr Putin of the unprecedented economic sanctions that will be imposed should he send tens of thousands of troops across the border into his pro-Western neighbour.

And on Monday, government sources said last night, the Foreign Office will announce a tough crackdown on Russian money flowing through the uK.

The development came as President Putin moved thousands of soldiers and surface-to-air missiles to Belarus – where they could launch attacks on ukraine.

Last night a downing street spokeswoman said Mr Johnson was ‘determined to accelerate diplomatic efforts and ramp up deterrence to avoid bloodshed’.

An announcement on sending additional British military resources to former eastern bloc states and soviet republics is expected early next week. But the Government will first target Russia’s strategic and financial interests in the uK following heavy criticism.

us diplomatic sources yesterday questioned how effective sanctions could be against oligarchs who support Mr Putin given the estimated £70billion of Russian ‘dirty money’ in London, which officials have dubbed ‘Moscow-on-Thames’.

Foreign secretary Liz Truss and defence secretary Ben Wallace are expected to visit Moscow in the coming weeks as Britain continues to spearhead diplomatic and military efforts to support ukraine, following its provision last week of 2,000 anti-tank weapons.

On Monday the uK will also join discussions at the united nations security

Council in new York in a bid to apply further pressure on Russia to commit itself to an exclusively peaceful approach to solving the ukrainian crisis.

In a phone call with French leader emmanuel Macron yesterday, Mr Putin said the West had ‘ignored’ Moscow’s security concerns over nato expansion and ukraine.

The Kremlin wants ukraine to be excluded from ever joining the nato security alliance, plus a withdrawal of western troops from eastern europe.

A Kremlin spokesman insisted the West’s stance left little room for compromise – but Russia would not start a war.

In a series of tit-for-tat developments yesterday, Russia sent thousands of soldiers and missiles to Belarus while nato pledged more troops would head east.

Moscow sent troops and hardware on the pretext of holding military exercises next month. But nato is concerned the men and machinery will be within striking distance of ukraine’s capital Kiev.

us sources claim Russia is stepping up war plans by shipping blood supplies and other medical materials to the frontline.