Britain Says Ukraine-Russia Crisis In “Most Dangerous Moment”
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Thursday that the Ukraine-Russia crisis is at its “most dangerous moment” while thousands of Russian troops engaged in sweeping maneuvers in Belarus near Ukraine. Johnson spoke after talks with the secretary-general of the NATO military alliance on his way to Poland.
Johnson said the war would be an “absolute disaster” but added that intelligence suggests the possibility of a Russian invasion into Ukraine remains imminent. “Our intelligence, I’m afraid to say, remains grim. And we’re seeing the amassing of huge numbers of tactical battalion groups on the borders of Ukraine, 70 or more,” he said.
Johnson stressed that “this is probably the most dangerous moment, I would say, in the cause of the next few days in what is the biggest security crisis that Europe has faced for decades. And we’ve got to get it right.”
His warnings came while Russia’s military buildup reached a decisive moment with the deployment of thousands of troops on the territory of its ally Belarus for joint maneuvers.
Ukraine’s capital Kyiv is only about 75 kilometers, or 47 miles, south of the border with Belarus. As a result, western nations fear Russia could use Belarusian territory to invade Ukraine.
In Moscow, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that continued “aggression” would lead to “severe consequences” for Russia.
“WESTERN HYSTERIA”
Several countries have already spoken about possible economic sanctions against Russia, with Washington suggesting shutting a critical Russian natural gas pipeline to Europe.
But speaking at the same news conference as his British counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of “hysteria.”
“It seems that our Western counterparts want to have an instrument to unbalance Russia and the situation overall, regardless of whatever negative consequences this hysteria might have for Ukraine as well,” Lavrov stressed.
Moscow maintains it has “no intention” to invade Ukraine. But it wants the West to rule out Ukraine ever joining NATO.
Yet, Western allies such as Britain and the United States say every European democracy must retain that right, including Ukraine.
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