LONDON, February 4. /TASS/. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believe that dialogue with Russia is important, the British prime minister’s press office said in a statement on Friday following a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

"The leaders agreed on the importance of dialogue with Russia. They resolved to use all diplomatic channels available to bring an end to the current tensions," the statement reads.

The British prime minister and the German chancellor "underlined the need for allies to deliver a clear and consistent message to Russia, including on the repercussions of a further Russian invasion of Ukraine."

Johnson and Scholz also "agreed to continue working together and with other international partners on a comprehensive package of sanctions." "The Prime Minister stressed that those sanctions should be ready to come into force immediately in the event of further Russian incursion into Ukraine," the statement added.

The West and Kiev have recently been echoing allegations about Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these claims as "empty and unfounded", serving as a ploy to escalate tensions, pointing out that Russia did not pose any threat whatsoever to anyone. However, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations aimed at justifying such claims and warned that attempts to use military force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have serious consequences.