Ukraine: Shock of invasion would echo around the world, Boris Johnson says

The shock of any invasion of Ukraine by Russia would "echo around the world", Boris Johnson has told world leaders.

He said we must be "unflinchingly honest" about the situation in Ukraine and should not "underestimate the gravity of this moment".

In a speech at a security conference in Munich, Mr Johnson said he does not know what Russian President Vladimir Putin intends, but "omens are grim".

"And that is why we must stand strong together," he said.

Western nations have warned Russia could invade Ukraine imminently, with over 130,000 of its troops near the border.

They accuse Russia of trying to stage a fake crisis in a breakaway eastern region of Ukraine to give it a reason to invade.

But Russia has repeatedly denied having plans to invade, saying troops are conducting military exercises in the region, accusing the West of "hysteria".

• Is Russia going to invade Ukraine?

• How might Russia stage a false flag attack?

• Satellite images show Russian activity near Ukraine

• Russia does not want war, Putin says

Mr Johnson stressed the UK still hoped diplomacy and dialogue would succeed in resolving the crisis.

Urging unity among the UK's Western allies, he said: "Every time that Western ministers have visited Kyiv, we have assured the people of Ukraine and their leaders that we stand foursquare behind their sovereignty and independence.

"How hollow, how meaningless, how insulting those words would seem, if at the very moment when their sovereignty and independence is imperilled, we simply look away."

If Ukraine were invaded, Mr Johnson said "we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections".

Ukraine is a former Soviet republic with historic ties to Russia and shares borders with both the EU and Russia.

Russia has long resisted Ukraine's move towards Western institutions, including Nato, seeing the eastward expansion of the military alliance as a threat to its security.

Boris Johnson warned "we will witness the destruction of a democratic state" if Ukraine is invaded

The prime minister warned that any invasion would also be met with sanctions on Russian individuals and companies.

He said the UK would "open up the Matryoshka dolls" of certain Russian-owned companies and make it impossible for them to raise finance in London.

His comments follow the announcement of new legislation allowing the UK to widen its sanctions against the country.

"If Ukraine is invaded, the shock will echo around the world, and those echoes will be heard in East Asia they will be heard in Taiwan," he told the Munich Security Conference.

Mr Johnson met Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, who said they had agreed "joint next steps" and remained united in the pursuit of de-escalation and diplomacy.

In a statement, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party was "steadfast in our support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine".

"We stand in solidary with the Ukrainian people and in unity with our international partners and Nato allies in warning President Putin that any attack will lead to immediate, severe and extensive sanctions," he said.

He said Labour supported the actions the government was taking to bring about an end to the stand-off, adding that "diplomacy can still succeed".

Writing on Twitter, former Prime Minister Theresa May said Boris Johnson was "right to press the case for continued diplomacy, while preparing the most severe sanctions for Russia if Putin chooses the catastrophe of war".

Mr Zelensky and Mr Johnson met at the security conference

In a joint statement, foreign ministers from the G7 group of wealthy nations said they had seen "no evidence" that Russia has withdrawn some of its forces, as it has claimed, and that they remained "gravely concerned" by the situation.

"We call on Russia to choose the path of diplomacy, to de-escalate tensions, to substantively withdraw military forces from the proximity of Ukraine's borders and to fully abide by international commitments," the statement said.

"As a first step, we expect Russia to implement the announced reduction of its military activities along Ukraine's borders. We will judge Russia by its deeds."

US Vice-President Kamala Harris is also attending the conference in Munich, and said in a speech that Russia faced "swift, severe and united" economic consequences if it were to invade.

She accused Russia of narrowing the avenues for diplomacy, saying "their simply do not match their words".

Her remarks come after Moscow said some of its troops had moved away from the border in recent days - but Western powers said there was no evidence of withdrawal.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden said he is convinced Mr Putin has decided to invade and that an assault could happen in the "coming days".

Mr Biden said the assessment was based on US intelligence, which suggested the capital Kyiv would be targeted.

Other Western politicians taking part in the three-day security conference include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US Vice-President Kamala Harris.

But Russia will not be officially represented at the summit for the first time since 1999 amid the rising tensions over the situation at Ukraine's borders.

Troop estimates

Meanwhile, the Home Office has scrapped a visa scheme offering rich foreign investors fast-track residency, amid pressure on ministers over UK links to Russia.

Labour has demanded the immediate publication of an ongoing review into visas granted between 2008 - when the scheme was introduced - and 2015 when checks on applicants were tightened.

The Liberal Democrats have also demanded a "clear timetable" for revoking visas issued to any Russians "who have been flagged as posing a national security risk".

The security conference in Germany comes as Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in the country's east continued to accuse each other of shelling and other ceasefire violations on Friday.

Such breaks in the area's years-long ceasefire are not uncommon, and each side blamed the other for the violence on Thursday.

On Friday, Washington increased its estimate of the number of Russian troops deployed around Ukraine to between 169,000 and 190,000.

Ukraine's defence minister has suggested a figure of 149,000.

• GRAVITY DEFYING TRICKS: James Woods introduces possibly the greatest skier you've never heard of

• BOOST YOUR BRAIN: Find out how to banish brain fog with these free and simple steps