Boris Johnson Warns That Putin Is Bent On A ‘Full Scale Invasion’ Of Ukraine
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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will reveal the 'first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia' later today, February 22.
After UK Health Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid said the 'invasion of Ukraine' had effectively begun, calling it a 'very dark day' for the West, Johnson has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will commit to a 'full scale invasion' of the country.
Following an emergency COBRA meeting, Johnson has since vowed to not only target Russia 'itself' but also the country's 'economic interests as hard as we can' in a series of sanctions set to be revealed today.
The Prime Minister has announced the Government will impose "the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia".
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) February 22, 2022
Boris Johnson says he expects 'more Russian irrational behaviour to come'.https://t.co/8BYfzNgetL pic.twitter.com/jkCRzU9tp4
The situation has been escalating for a series of weeks, with satellite images having shown an estimated 150,000 Russian and Belarusian troops gathered at multiple points along the Ukraine border.
Johnson's plans to enforce sanctions follows the news that Russian troops have entered two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine on Putin's orders, and the prime minister's says there is 'more Russian irrational behaviour to come', The Independent reports.
Johnson stated: 'I’m afraid all the evidence is that President Putin is indeed bent on a full scale invasion of the Ukraine, the overrunning, the subjugation of an independent, sovereign European country and I think, let’s be absolutely clear, that will be absolutely catastrophic.
'This is I should stress just the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia because we expect I’m afraid that there is more Russian irrational behaviour to come.'
Boris Johnson is holding an emergency meeting of ministers & security officials this morning to discuss Russian sanctions.
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) February 22, 2022
On #BBCBreakfast Chief Political correspondent Adam Fleming goes through what options the PM has at the COBRA meeting.https://t.co/1PsgWj960e pic.twitter.com/JLAP9yXUB4
The soon-to-be-announced sanctions also come as a result of Putin having recognised two breakaway eastern regions in Ukraine as independent entities, The Guardian reports, which was noted by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as being a move that would not go 'unpunished'.
Alongside Truss promising to set out measures in response to Russia's 'breach of international law,' Johnson resolved that the forthcoming sanctions 'will hit Russia very hard and there is a lot more that we are going to do in the event of an invasion'.
He concluded: 'Be in no doubt that if Russian companies are prevented from raising capital on the UK financial markets, if we unpeel the facade of Russian ownership of companies, of property, it will start to hurt.'
Britain's former top Nato commander told the BBC: 'This is the most dangerous moment in Europe probably at least since 1962 and the Cuban missile crisis.'
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