Former Brexit Secretary David Davis has called upon the UK to provide military aid to Ukraine.
Following Putin's declaration of war on Ukraine, with Russia having launched a 'full-scale invasion', many have been waiting to see how the West will react.
This morning, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that the UK and its allies would 'respond decisively'. He is set to meet with other EU leaders in an emergency meeting later today to discuss potential sanctions on Russia.
However, former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden, David Davis, has since taken to Twitter to call on Johnson and the UK to 'provide military support' to 'neutralize Putin's overwhelming armoured superiority'.
In ordering troops into two independent, separatist regions in Ukraine, Davis commented that 'whether we like it or not Putin has effectively declared war on the West,' and that 'confining our actions to Article Five measures as legalistic weakness'.
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He stated: 'While we should continue to impose the most ferocious sanctions they are no longer a deterrent. They are a punishment. They will not stop him. If NATO does not act now, Ukraine will be defeated in a matter of days.
'Therefore if we do not provide military support, more than 40 million Ukrainians will go from living in a democracy to living under a brutal dictatorship.'
Davis noted that while it is 'far too late to get boots on the ground', that 'it is not too late to provide air support to the Ukrainian army which may neutralize Putin's overwhelming armoured superiority'.
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'If this is confined to the airspace over Ukraine, and is based on a request from President Zelenskyy, this should be perfectly legal under almost any interpretation of international law. It will also reduce the risk of escalation,' he explained.
Reflecting on how 'everything now is very risky,' Davis stated that it's 'the price we [the UK] are paying for ignoring Putin's provocations on at least five occasions over the last 20 years'.
He concluded: 'There are no zero-risk options. If we do not act militarily, then NATO will be significantly weakened and we must fear for the safety of every state that borders Russia.'
Russia has already received various sanctions from the UK, however Johnson was quick to stress that they would simply be the 'first barrage'.
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Foreign secretary Liz Truss has also warned the UK is 'prepared to go much further'.
The European Union is reported as currently assessing the 'strongest, harshest package' of sanctions to implement on Russia.
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Poppy Bilderbeck