A Russian invasion of Ukraine could lead to largest conflict since WW2, PM warns
A Russian invasion of Ukraine could lead to the largest conflict in Europe since World War Two, Boris Johnson has warned.
The Prime Minister said he wants people to "understand the sheer cost in human life" that an incursion into Ukraine would bring, with casualties on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides, as he continued to urge Moscow to engage in peace talks.
He also admitted hard-hitting financial sanctions may not be enough to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from signing off on an invasion.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, in a separate interview, said Vladimir Putin "will not stop at Ukraine" as she argued he is aiming to piece the Soviet Union back together.
Ukraine's military said two soldiers died on Saturday amid escalating violence in the country's east, between government forces and rebels.
The West fears Russia could use the increased tensions there as a pretext for an attack on Ukraine.
Boris Johnson told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday "the shock will echo around the world" if Russia invades Ukraine, which, he said, could still be avoided through diplomacy.
Plans for an invasion appear to be "in motion", he added, after warning that a Russian attack would bring about the "destruction of a democratic state".
The UK has pledged support for Kyiv through armed forces training and by sending anti-tank weapons, but Mr Johnson said, given Ukraine is not a NATO member, sanctions would be the main focus in terms of hurting Russia in the event of an invasion.
He admitted that even a joint venture by Britain and the US to prevent Russian state-linked firms from trading in pounds and dollars – a move he predicted would hit the Kremlin "very hard" – may "not be enough on its own".
In other comments made while in Germany, Mr Johnson warned that the "sheer scale" of the offensive being prepared by Moscow had not been seen for almost 80 years.
Watch: Boris Johnson says 'we stand four-square' behind Ukrainian independence.
He told BBC News: "The plan that we're seeing is for something that could be the biggest war in Europe since 1945 just in terms of sheer scale.
"You're looking at not just an invasion through the east through the Donbas, but according to the intelligence we are seeing, coming down from the north, down from Belarus and actually encircling Kyiv itself, as Joe Biden explained to a lot of us last night.
"I think a lot of people need to understand the sheer cost in human life that could entail, not just for Ukrainians but for Russians."
Mr Johnson held talks with European leaders while in Bavaria, including meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During his speech to the annual summit, Mr Zelenskyy criticised what he called "appeasement" by the West in the face of Russian aggression.
"We have the right to demand to move from the appeasement policy to ensuring the guarantees of security,” he said, in a translation offered by the conference.
Mr Zelenskyy also questioned why western leaders were waiting for Russia to invade before applying sanctions, given 150,000 of Moscow's troops are amassed on his country's border.
Mr Zelenskyy has called for Vladimir Putin to meet him for talks.
It comes as the West is anxious about mounting instability in the Donbas region in Ukraine's east, where government forces have been fighting pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people, fearing it could spiral into a wider battle.
Rebel leaders announced a call to arms in the Donetsk and Luhansk region, while Ukraine's military said two soldiers were killed on Saturday in a government-held part of Donetsk.
Top Ukrainian military officials also came under shelling attack during a tour of the conflict front, forcing them to flee to a bomb shelter.
Mr Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarus president and Moscow ally, spent Saturday watching Russian forces flex their military might during massive nuclear drills, which involved multiple practice missile launches.
It is feared the exercises are a further indication that Russia is gearing up for an offensive.
However, a Russian diplomat said: "our drills on our territory should not worry anyone", and accused the West of creating an "artificial crisis" in Ukraine.
Dmitry Polyanskiy, the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, was asked on Sky News' Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme whether Mr Putin is "enjoying" the international spotlight.
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