(London) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday called on Vladimir Putin to “de-escalate tensions” in Ukraine, warning him that a military intervention would constitute a “strategic error” with heavy “consequences”.
In a telephone call, Boris Johnson “expressed the UK’s deep concern over the strengthening of Russian forces on the border with Ukraine, and reiterated the importance of working through diplomatic channels for a de-escalation of tensions, ”Downing Street said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister underlined the United Kingdom’s attachment to the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and warned that any destabilization action would constitute a strategic error which would have significant consequences,” added the same source. .
Contacts between British and Russian leaders have been rare in recent years due to the strong tensions between the two countries, exacerbated in 2018 by the poisoning of ex-Russian agent Sergei Skripal with the nerve agent Novichok on British soil.
In its own statement, the Kremlin confirmed that Mr Johnson had “expressed concern over the alleged large movements of Russian troops”. The Russian president defended himself by asserting that the Kiev policy was “breaking with the Minsk agreements” signed in 2015 and that Ukraine “was deliberately deteriorating the situation” by using “heavy weapons and attack drones. ” at the border.
This creates a “direct threat to the security of Russia”, asserted Mr. Putin, who calls for “negotiations for clear international legal agreements which would exclude any further NATO advances towards the East and the deployment of weapons. threatening Russia in neighboring states ”.
Washington, the Europeans and Kiev have accused Moscow for a few weeks of preparations to invade Ukraine, which the Kremlin denies.
During a meeting over the weekend in Liverpool (north-west England), the foreign ministers of the G7 powers issued a warning to Russia, with British Minister Liz Truss threatening “massive consequences for Russia in the event of an incursion into Ukraine ”.
The threat of unprecedented sanctions has been formulated in recent days by Washington, and in particular by President Joe Biden who spoke with Vladimir Putin.