All news

Johnson and Putin agree that Ukraine escalation is in no one’s interests

UK Prime Minister expressed his deep concern about Russia’s current hostile activity on the Ukrainian border

LONDON, February 2./TASS/. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during their phone call on Wednesday that the worsening of the situation at the border with Ukraine was in no one’s interests.

"The leaders agreed that aggravation was in no one’s interest. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, and the need to include Ukraine in talks," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

"The Prime Minister expressed his deep concern about Russia’s current hostile activity on the Ukrainian border. He emphasised the need to find a way forward which respects both Ukraine’s territorial integrity and right to self-defence. The Prime Minister stressed that any further Russian incursion into Ukrainian territory would be a tragic miscalculation," the press release said.

"The Prime Minister underscored that, under NATO’s open door policy, all European democracies have a right to aspire to NATO membership. This right fully applies to Ukraine. He also reiterated that NATO is a defensive alliance," it added.

"The Prime Minister and President Putin welcomed communication between the UK and Russia on a number of important issues including climate change, the situation in Afghanistan and the Iran nuclear deal. They agreed to apply this spirit of dialogue to the current tensions in order to find a peaceful resolution," the press release said.

The Kremlin press service said that in the phone call Putin had pointed to NATO’s unwillingness to adequately respond to Russian concerns over security guarantees. According to the Kremlin, the sides also shared views on the Ukrainian crisis and the long-term documented security guarantees.