Boris vows to unveil ‘first barrage’ of sanctions against Russia TODAY

Boris Johnson vowed to unveil the ‘first barrage’ of sanctions against Russia today as he warned Vladimir Putin is bent on a ‘full scale invasion of Ukraine’.

After chairing a pre-dawn Cobra meeting, the PM said Mr Putin has ‘completely torn up international law’ after recognising separatist areas and must now face an ‘immediate’ response.

Key Russian figures and businesses are expected to be in the crosshairs when Mr Johnson announces the package in a Commons statement at lunchtime.

He said sanctions will be aimed not just at entities in occupied Ukraine regions but also ‘in Russia itself, targeting Russian economic interests as hard as we can’.

The premier also hinted at supplying more weaponry to Kiev’s forces, saying the UK had already given ‘lethal but defensive’ assistance and ‘we’re looking at what we can do’. 

Tanks have been seen rolling across the border after Russian troops were ordered to carry out ‘peacekeeping’ duties in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

However, there are signs of divisions among Western allies – many of whom rely heavily on Russian gas and oil – over how strongly to react to the breach. 

The White House has issued an executive order to prohibit US investment and trade in the separatist regions, and additional sanctions are expected to be announced later. 

But France has urged for sanctions to be ‘targeted’ and it could be harder to agree a strong response to recognition of the separatist areas than to a full invasion.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, avoided using the word as he vowed sanctions against Russia this morning.

He acknowledged that ‘Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil’ but added: ‘I wouldn’t say that’s a fully fledged invasion’. 

 

After chairing a pre-dawn Cobra meeting, the PM said Mr Putin has ‘completely torn up international law’ after recognising separatist areas and must now face an ‘immediate’ response.

A tank, believed to be Russian, is spotted on a street near the city of Donetsk in separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine

A tank, believed to be Russian, is spotted on a street near the city of Donetsk in separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine

Putin addresses the nation as he recognised the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics on Monday

Putin addresses the nation as he recognised the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics on Monday

Mr Johnson said of the UK sanctions package: ‘This is I should stress just the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia because we expect I’m afraid that there is more Russian irrational behaviour to come.

‘I’m afraid all the evidence is that President Putin is indeed bent on a full scale invasion of the Ukraine, the overrunning, the subjugation of an independent, sovereign European country and I think, let’s be absolutely clear, that will be absolutely catastrophic.’   

Mr Johnson renewed his call for European countries to wean themselves off Russian energy. 

‘In the UK we have been able to reduce our dependency on Russian gas very substantially,’ he said.

‘Only 3 per cent of our gas supplies now come from Russia.’

Mr Johnson said the response includes granting licences for UK gas reserves but also shifting to low-carbon energy, including nuclear power.

He added: ‘The faster this country can be more self-reliant on our own energy, the more prosperous we will be, but also, of course, the more sustainable our energy prices will be, and that will benefit the UK consumer.’

Earlier, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said explicitly that Russia has ‘invaded’ Ukraine.

‘We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe and it’s clear from what we have already seen and found out today that the Russians, President Putin, has decided to attack the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity,’ he said.

The Health Secretary told Sky News: ‘We have seen that he has recognised these breakaway eastern regions in Ukraine and from the reports we can already tell that he has sent in tanks and troops.

‘From that you can conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun.’

The Cobra meeting follows an emergency session of the UN Security Council where the UK’s ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward said Russia has ‘brought us to the brink’, warning that the country’s actions ‘will have severe and far-reaching consequences’.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrives for a COBRA meeting in Downing Street this morning

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrives for a COBRA meeting in Downing Street this morning

A military truck drives along a street after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops

A military truck drives along a street after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops

She said an invasion would unleash ‘the forces of war, death and destruction’ on the people of Ukraine.

‘The humanitarian impact will be terrible on civilians fleeing the fighting. We know that women and children will suffer most.’

She said the Security Council must be united in calling on Russia to ‘de-escalate immediately’, as well as ‘condemning aggression against a sovereign nation and defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine’.

‘Russia has brought us to the brink,’ she said. ‘We urge Russia to step back.’

The Kremlin said Russian forces will ‘maintain peace’ in eastern Ukraine.

The Cobra meeting was to co-ordinate the UK response and agree a ‘significant package of sanctions to be introduced immediately’, No 10 said.

The PM will have calls with other world leaders before updating MPs.

Last night Mr Johnson voiced ‘grave concern’ in a call with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

‘Outlining his grave concern at recent developments in the region, the Prime Minister told President Zelensky that he believed an invasion was a real possibility in the coming hours and days.’

Downing Street also said Mr Johnson told President Zelensky that he would ‘explore sending further defensive support to Ukraine’ at the request of the country’s government.

Later, President Zelensky told his nation ‘we are not afraid of anyone’ after Russia recognised the independence of the separatist regions.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted about the new sanctions from the UK last night after saying Mr Putin’s actions could not be allowed to go ‘unpunished’.

The European Union and United States were also imposing sanctions in response to the crisis.

A tank drives along a street after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine

A tank drives along a street after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine

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