London, Europe Brief News – UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned Russian president Vladimir Putin that invading Ukraine would lead to a “painful, violent and bloody business”.
The prime minister said the intelligence around the situation was “gloomy” but war was not inevitable.
He further urged Russia to pull back from a “disastrous step”.
He said the UK was “leading on creating a package of economic sanctions” against Russia.
Defensive weaponry is being supplied to Ukraine, Boris Johnson added.
He added that the UK stood “four-square with the people of Ukraine”.
Boris Johnson also said: “The intelligence is very clear that there are 60 Russian battle groups on the borders of Ukraine, the plan for a lightning war that could take out Kyiv is one that everybody can see.
“We need to make it very clear to the Kremlin, to Russia, that that would be a disastrous step.”
Russia has denied plans for military action, but tens of thousands of troops have amassed on the border.
Russia, however, denies it is planning to invade the country and says the troops are there for exercises. It says it can move its troops freely on its own soil.
Russia and Ukraine have earlier reached a new agreement to restore a 2020 ceasefire deal in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak hailed the deal, saying the coming holidays “should be peaceful”.
The deal was brokered by Europe’s OSCE security organisation as a step towards de-escalation.
The agreement coincides with heightened tensions in the region.
