British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on a trip to Kyiv on Tuesday that Russian forces massed on the border represented a “clear and present danger” to Ukraine.
“We see large numbers of troops massing, we see preparations for all kinds of operations that are consistent with an imminent military campaign,” Johnson said at a press conference with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Our view is that time is urgent and this is something that needs to be addressed now.“
Johnson urged Russia to pull back troops and choose diplomacy, warning that any invasion would be a "disaster."
"It is vital that Russia steps back and chooses a path of diplomacy, and I believe that is still possible," he said.
Johnson jetted into Kyiv as part of a Western diplomatic offensive aimed at deterring Russian President Vladimir from launching an incursion that the Kremlin denies it is planning.
The West has sounded the alarm over the threat posed by more than 100,000 Russian troops deployed along the border with Ukraine -- while Kyiv has sought to calm fears of a looming attack.
"A further Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a political disaster, a humanitarian disaster, and, in my view, would also be for Russia, for the world, a military disaster as well," Johnson said.
"We are also preparing a package of sanctions and other measures to be enacted the moment the first Russian toe cap crosses further into Ukrainian territory."
Zelensky warned Moscow of a "tragedy" if it invaded, insisting Ukraine's army had significantly improved its capabilities after nearly eight years of battling Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country.
"For those who want to capture part of our territory, there are high risks now. Ukrainians will defend themselves to the end. Russians must hear us, they must understand that no-one needs a war," Zelensky said.
“Now there will be no occupation of any city or territory. There will be a tragedy if the escalation begins, it will not be a war between Ukraine and Russia, it will be a full-scale war in Europe.“
He reiterated his calls for Moscow to de-escalate the tensions by withdrawing its forces stationed along the border.
"This will be a powerful psychologically important step, not only for the people of Ukraine and Europe, but also for the Russians," he said.
© Agence France-Presse
