Truss urges Putin to ‘step back’ as Biden warns Russia ‘will pay heavy price’ if it invades Ukraine

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Liz Truss has warned Russia that an invasion of Ukraine would lead to a “terrible quagmire and loss of life” similar to the Soviet-Afghan war.

The British foreign secretary urged Vladimir Putin to “desist and step back from Ukraine before he makes a massive strategic mistake”, adding an “invasion will only lead to a terrible quagmire and loss of life, as we know from the Soviet-Afghan war and conflict in Chechnya”.

“We need everyone to step up. Together with our allies, we will continue to stand with Ukraine and urge Russia to de-escalate and engage in meaningful discussions. What happens in eastern Europe matters for the world,” she added.

It comes as US President Joe Biden warned “Russia will pay a heavy price” if it invades Ukraine.

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US: ‘Severe response’ if Russian invades Ukraine

The US leader said he has been “absolutely clear with President Putin” that “if any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion”.

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That invasion, he said, would be met with a “severe and coordinated economic response,” which has been “laid out very clearly with President Putin”.

Analysis by Diana Magnay, Moscow correspondent and Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor

Tensions continue to boil in eastern Europe, as the threat of a Russian invasion in Ukraine continues to draw international attention.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden warned that “Russia will pay a heavy price” if it invades Ukraine, while Russia announced naval drills in several parts of the world and claimed the West is plotting “provocations” in Ukraine.

In an attempt to ease tensions, the top diplomats from Washington and the Kremlin are set for crunch talks in Geneva.

But, what do both countries want from the discussions?

Read full analysis here

Mr Biden also acknowledged that Russia could “use measures other than overt military actions” and referenced the incursion into the Donbas region, where “grey zone attacks” were undertaken by “Russian soldiers not wearing Russian uniform”.

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Russia-Ukraine tensions: Top diplomats from US and Russia set for crunch talks in Geneva – but what do both countries want?


Russia-Ukraine tensions: UK sends 30 elite troops and 2,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine amid fears of Russian invasion


‘My guess is he will move in, he has to do something’: Russia will attack Ukraine, President Biden says

The US president appeared to be clarifying the confusion around the position of America and it’s NATO allies after he was heavily criticised for saying a “minor incursion” would elicit a lesser response.

Image: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to have talks with his Russian counterpart today

The US Treasury Department has also levied new sanctions against four Ukrainian officials, including two current members of parliament, who they say are part of the Russian influence effort to set the pretext for an invasion.

The sanctions name parliamentarians Taras Kozak and Oleh Voloshyn and two former government officials.

According to the government, all four have been involved in disinformation efforts by Russia’s federal security service, the FSB.

Analysis: Biden swift to clarify confusing and contradictory remarks

Mark Stone

US correspondent

@Stone_SkyNews

The White House was swift to clarify the comments made by President Biden, and the president himself has now sought to provide his own clarity.

It’s no wonder clarity was needed. His original words on Wednesday evening were confused, contradictory and dangerously undermined any pretence of western and NATO unity.

With his comments – in which he publicly drew a distinction between invasion and incursion (which he didn’t define) and admitted divisions within NATO – he caused enough angst in Kyiv to prompt the Ukrainian president to speak up.

In making the comments, President Biden will also have sent a confirmatory message to President Putin that there isn’t a real, united conviction among western leaders.

Even his clarifying comments prompt further questions. He seemed to suggest that a repeat of the Crimea playbook, with ‘Little Green Men’ (Russian troops without their insignia) taking over a part of Ukraine, would prompt a lesser response from the West and not the stinging sanctions. Did he mean that? It’s not clear.

The broad point is this – President Putin is seeing confirmation of what he suspected and wanted to test: the unity and resolve among the West isn’t all that strong.

As things stand, Putin probably thinks he can threaten to invade and get concessions from the West in response, or he can go ahead with a small Crimea-style invasion (with those little green men again) and get away with it. Remarkable.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is preparing to meet his Russian counterpart, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, in Geneva today, in a bid to ease tensions between the country and the West.

However, talks seem likely to fail and the US diplomat said: “These are difficult issues we are facing and resolving them won’t happen quickly.

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Russia and the West: What’s going on?

“I certainly don’t expect we’ll solve them in Geneva tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Mr Biden appeared convinced Russia would mount an attack, and said: “My guess is he will move in; he has to do something.”

Image: President Joe Biden has warned Russia not to invade Ukraine

However, he warned that Mr Putin would pay a “dear price” in lives lost and a possible cut off from the global banking system if he does.

Read more on this story:
‘Russia looking for excuse to invade Ukraine’ – but US insists week of diplomacy has not failed
Ukraine-Russia tensions: Inside the eerie village on the frontline of separatist conflict

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UK ‘stands squarely’ behind sovereignty of Ukraine

Military drills aimed at protecting “Russian national interests”

On Thursday, Russia announced sweeping naval drills in several parts of the world and claims the West is plotting “provocations” in neighbouring Ukraine.

An estimated 100,000 Russian troops are now believed to be on the border with Ukraine as part of massive joint war games with Belarus, which will involve more than 140 warships and 60 aircraft.

“The drills are intended to practice navy and air force action to protect Russian national interests in the world’s oceans and to counter military threats to the Russian Federation,” the Russian ministry said.

In response, Britain’s armed forces have flown thousands of anti-tank weapons to the former Soviet satellite state amid fears of an imminent invasion of Ukraine.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who is also with Ms Truss in Australia, added that globalisation has meant that “nations can interrupt and corrupt our democratic and free and open societies from as far away as countries such as Russia and therefore we have to work together to strengthen those alliances”.

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Russia has repeatedly denied it plans to launch an offensive but has sought reassure from the West that NATO’s expansion, and deployment of alliance weapons, will exclude Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations.

Washington and its allies firmly rejected these demands in security talks last week, but have kept the door open to possible further talks on arms control and confidence-building measures to reduce tensions in the region.