Britain called on Thursday for Europe to hold firm over Ukraine’s right to join NATO, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the alliance headquarters in Brussels to rally allies and sent his foreign secretary to Moscow with a warning not to invade, Reuters reports.
Russia has more than 100,000 troops at the Ukrainian border, and the United States, Britain, the EU and NATO fear it may be planning an invasion, which Moscow denies, however saying this it could take unspecified “military-technical” action unless certain demands are met, including barring Ukraine from ever joining the Western military alliance.
Britain’s diplomatic push comes as Johnson is grappling with the worst domestic political crisis of his premiership: a police probe into lockdown parties in Downing Street which has led some MPs from his Conservative Party to call for him to resign.
It also follows shuttle diplomacy from French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Moscow and Kyiv earlier this week, and, in contrast to U.S. and British leaders, has played down the likelihood of a Russian invasion.
Johnson, the most prominent figure in the Brexit campaign that brought Britain out of the EU, said Britain “remains unwavering in our commitment to European security”.
“As an alliance we must draw lines in the snow and be clear there are principles upon which we will not compromise,” Johnson said. “That includes the security of every NATO ally and the right of every European democracy to aspire to NATO membership.”
- Putin did NOT promise Macron “no more military drills around Ukraine,” Kremlin confirms
- Boris Johnson on Ukraine: “The greatest immediate priority of Britain’s overseas effort is to stand with our allies”
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