Yahoo News Ukraine-Russia crisis: Liz Truss warns Putin to ‘step away’ and says time is running out
The foreign secretary has warned there is "limited time" for Vladimir Putin to stop a war with Ukraine, as she urged him to "step back from the brink" and prevent conflict in Europe.
Liz Truss said it was "highly likely" Russia will invade Ukraine in the coming days, with up to 130,000 troops are stations on its borders and in the Black Sea.
However, in the latest diplomatic twist, the Russian president appeared to signal an invasion was not imminent during a staged appearance on state TV on Monday.
As Truss was on the morning media rounds, it was announced that Russia was withdrawing some troops and equipment from the Ukrainian border.
Tensions remain high in the region, with pictures emerging over the weekend of Ukrainian civilians engaging in military training as fears of war grow.
When asked about the latest prospects of a Russian invasion, Truss said she was "very worried about the situation".
She told Sky News: “We could be on the brink of a war in Europe, which would have severe consequences not just for the people of Russia and Ukraine, but also for the broader security of Europe.
“There is still time for Vladimir Putin to step away from the brink. But there is only a limited amount of time for him to do that.”
US intelligence has suggested an invasion could have come as quickly as Wednesday, with mounting fears Russia may stage a false flag operation and use it as a pretext to launch an invasion.
A false flag operation is a fabricated event by one country to make it appear another country committed an aggressive action, therefore, justifying the first nations hostile response.
On Monday evening, Putin denied any incursion into Ukrainian territory was just around the corner in a scripted conversation with his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov broadcast on state television.
Read more: Boris Johnson warns Russia is on the 'edge of precipice' over Ukrainian invasion
In it, the Russian president asked: “Sergey Viktorovich, in your opinion, is there a chance to agree, to reach an agreement with our partners on key issues that cause our concern, or is it just an attempt to drag us into an endless negotiation process that has no logical conclusion?”
Lavrov replied: "You have already said more than once — you, and other representatives of the Russian Federation — that we warn against endless discussions on issues that need to be resolved today.”
“But still, I must say that there is always a chance.”
World leaders have been in talks with Russia in the hopes of stopping further conflict, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meeting Putin on Tuesday.
On Monday evening, Boris Johnson and Joe Biden said a “crucial window for diplomacy and for Russia to step back from its threats towards Ukraine” remained open.
