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UK prime minister, European leaders to discuss ways to prevent war in Ukraine - office

A Downing Street spokeswoman noted that the crisis on Ukraine’s border has reached a critical junctur

LONDON, February 14. /TASS/. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to discuss with the European leaders the ways to prevent a war in Ukraine and help Kiev to ensure the country’s military defense, according to the statement that was released by the Prime Minister’s Office.

"The crisis on Ukraine’s border has reached a critical juncture. All the information we have suggests Russia could be planning an invasion of Ukraine at any moment. This would have disastrous consequences for both Ukraine and Russia. There is still a window of opportunity for de-escalation and diplomacy, and the Prime Minister will continue to work tirelessly alongside our allies to get Russia to step back from the brink," a Downing Street spokeswoman noted.

The statement reads that, among other things, "Johnson will be working with allies to provide further defensive and economic support to Kiev." Also, the UK government’s head will likely take part in the Munich Security Conference, which will kick off on February 18, but it has not been confirmed yet. The UK Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace is going to meet with his colleagues from NATO countries in Brussels on January 16-17.

Concerns over Moscow’s alleged preparations for an invasion of Ukraine have been increasingly announced in the West and in Kiev recently. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these statements as an empty and groundless escalation of tension, emphasizing that Russia posed no threat to anyone. At the same time, the Kremlin press secretary did not exclude some possible provocations to justify such claims and warned that the attempts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict by force would carry extremely serious consequences.