British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, through a spokesman, called on Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday to “step back from the brink” as he insisted there was still a “window of opportunity” to avoid war in Ukraine. On Sunday, Downing Street said the U.K. believes Moscow could invade Ukraine “at any moment,” as commercial airlines began cancelling flights, and Poland warned of an impending refugee crisis, reported the Telegraph. “Whitehall sources said the U.K. was determined to play a leading role in shaping the West’s reaction to Mr Putin’s aggression, amid concern that Britain was ‘too absent’ after Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.”
“There is still a window of opportunity for de-escalation and diplomacy, and the Prime Minister will continue to work tirelessly alongside our allies to get Russia to step back from the brink,” the No. 10 spokesman said. Johnson “will now focus on engagement” with the Nordic and Baltic countries and is getting daily briefings from security chiefs on the Russian military deployment.
