Boris Johnson has warned that Vladimir Putin’s aim in invading Ukraine is to “overthrow the Cold War order and destroy the vision of a Europe whole and free”.
Speaking in Warsaw during a visit to Poland, the prime minister warned that if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, his “imperial ambitions” would not end at its borders and “no country would be safe”.
However, the PM vowed that the UK and other members of the international community will not relent in their sanctions on his regime and will be ready to continue supporting Ukraine in what could be “a prolonged crisis”.
Moscow’s effort to rewrite the political settlement of Europe was “something the UK and our allies could never accept”, he said.
Mr Johnson said that even if Russia succeeds in taking Ukraine, its fiercely contested occupation of the vast country can be expected to be “militarily exhausting and economically ruinous” for Moscow.
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He called on Putin to avert catastrophic consequences for Russia by withdrawing his tanks and troops immediately, telling the Russian president: “Turn them round and take the path to peace.”
Mr Johnson said that Putin was “tearing up every principle of civilised behaviour between states”.
“He has hurled his war machine on the people of Ukraine, a fellow Slavic country,” said the prime minister. “He has bombarded civilian targets, fired rockets at blocks of flats, he is responsible for hundreds of civilian casualties including growing numbers of children.
“And also, of course, for the deaths of many Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.
“We must accept the grim reality that Putin will continue to tighten the vice and, if you go by the size and firepower of Vladimir Putin’s war machine, the odds have always been heavily against Ukrainian armed forces.”
But he said that Putin had made a “colossal mistake” by invading Ukraine.
“Putin has lied to his people and to his troops about how this conflict would go, and he has now been caught out in that lie,” he said.
“They have not been welcomed to Ukraine as he prophesized, their tanks have not been cheered in the streets or garlanded with flowers.
“Instead, Ukrainians have mounted an astonishing and tenacious resistance.”
Evidence of Putin’s brutal military tactics could be used in a future war crimes trial at The Hague, said Mr Johnson.
“There’s no doubt that he is already using barbaric tactics, bombing civilian areas,” said the PM.
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“I have seen the reports about cluster bombs and thermobaric weapons. They will, of course, have to be verified.
“I think that everybody involved in the Russian onslaught should understand that all this will be collated in evidence to be used at a future time in what could be proceedings before the International Criminal Court.”