Prime minister Boris Johnson will travel to Ukraine on Tuesday to hold talks with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The talks will revolve around finding a diplomatic solution over the ongoing dispute with Ukraine's eastern neighbour, Russia.
In recent weeks, Russia has amassed roughly 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, but Moscow has denied that an invasion is imminent.
Russia has expressed security concerns over Ukraine’s ties to NATO and wants cast-iron guarantees that the former Soviet state will not make any further move to join the alliance. Russian president Vladimir Putin has based this demand on a 1990 pledge from the US upon the fall of the Soviet Union that NATO would not look to expand further eastwards.
However, the US has rejected Russia’s demand as a non-starter, on the grounds that it infringes on Ukrainian sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Western nations have threatened Russia with further economic sanctions if it sends its troops into Ukrainian territory.
UK foreign secretary Liz Truss has said that legislation to toughen economic sanctions against Russia is being prepared. She had been due to travel alongside Johnson to Ukraine but will not make the trip after testing positive for Covid-19 on Monday.
Ahead of the trip, UK prime minister Boris Johnson commented: “It is the right of every Ukrainian to determine how they are governed. As a friend and a democratic partner, the UK will continue to uphold Ukraine's sovereignty in the face of those who seek to destroy it.
“We urge Russia to step back and engage in dialogue to find a diplomatic resolution and avoid further bloodshed.”
Johnson has indicated that he will attempt to speak to Russian president Vladimir Putin later in the week and hold talks over resolving the crisis.
Elsewhere, the animosity between Moscow and the West has intensified this week after Russian and US envoys clashed at the UN Security Council during discussion over Russia’s conduct at Ukraine’s borders.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said that while her country would continue to pursue a diplomatic resolution, it was ready to act decisively in the event of an invasion.
Russia’s UN representative, Vasily Nebenzya accused the US of interfering in Russian affairs and inciting hysteria over the unfolding situation.
Nebenzya repeated Russia’s claims that it was not planning to mount any attack on Ukraine, and that Russia’s deployment of troops within its own territory was of no concern to the US.
The US will also hold further talks of its own with Russia on Wednesday in an attempt to ease tensions, with secretary of state Anthony Blinken set to speak to Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister.
Photo taken from Wikimedia Commons
