UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stated on Tuesday that it remains highly likely that Russia will invade Ukraine and that this could be imminent. She added that the government is on alert for any covert operations in the coming days, according to Reuters. Truss mentioned in a statement to Sky News that if Russian forces enter Ukraine, they could quickly reach the capital, Kyiv. She warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a very dangerous moment for the world.
Truss's warning comes as Moscow has amassed around 130,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. She told Sky News, "If we see an invasion of Ukraine, there will be huge costs in terms of long-term conflict, and we might see security being undermined more broadly in Europe. We could see other aggressors around the world viewing it as an opportunity to expand their ambitions as well."
She continued, "This is a very dangerous moment for the world... This is of course about Ukraine, a significant sovereign state, but it is also about broader European stability and global security." She added, "We cannot give the message that aggression is rewarded."
Truss also warned that Russia "would not stop at Ukraine if it invaded," stating that "the greatest danger, of course, is whether there is an invasion of Ukraine that would cause severe damage to both Russia and Ukraine, which would further undermine stability in Europe."
She expressed concerns that this will not be limited to Ukraine, describing it as an attack on neighboring countries and other Eastern European nations in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of being part of NATO. This follows shortly after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock requested Moscow to withdraw its forces from the Ukrainian border, noting that the situation could deteriorate at any moment. Baerbock stated in her statement that all opportunities for dialogue must be seized to reach a peaceful resolution, noting that the responsibility for de-escalation clearly lies with Russia.
