“It is the right of every Ukrainian to choose how he or she wants to be governed,” Johnson said in a statement. “As a friend and democratic partner, the United Kingdom will defend Ukraine’s sovereignty against those who want to destroy it.” In the statement, the prime minister warned Russia to withdraw and engage in dialogue “so that a diplomatic solution can be sought and casualties can be prevented.”
Johnson announced last week that he had plans to travel to the region. He also plans to have a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is not yet known when that meeting will take place.
Warnings
Tensions over Ukraine have been mounting for months and Russia has more than 100,000 soldiers standing by at the Ukrainian border. According to the West, there are plans for an invasion. Russia denies that, but is making demands to de-escalate the situation. The Russians want NATO troops to leave Eastern Europe and the promise that Ukraine can never join the military alliance. NATO and the United States have rejected these demands. Britain has previously warned against severe sanctions in the event of Russia invading Ukraine.
A telephone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his American counterpart Antony Blinken is also scheduled for Tuesday. Ahead of that conversation, the US State Department said on Monday that Russia has responded in writing to a US proposal to de-escalate the situation. That proposal, in turn, was a response to Russia’s demands. The Russian response has not been made public.