FROM RUSSIA WITH LIES
Boris Johnson warns war is looming in Europe as Russian bullies slap down Britain’s peace efforts
BORIS Johnson last night warned war was looming in Europe — as Russian bullies greeted Britain’s peace efforts with abuse.
The PM said the continent stands at the “most dangerous point” since World War Two owing to Vladimir Putin’s build-up of troops and tanks threatening Ukraine.
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And after flying to Poland, which borders Ukraine, he appeared to compare the Russian leader to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
In a gloomy assessment, Mr Johnson said: “We stand on the edge of a precipice and things are as dangerous as I have seen them in Europe for a very, very long time.
“The lesson of the last 100 years is that when Poland is threatened with instability, or aggression on the borders of Poland, then we are all threatened and we’re all affected.”
Meanwhile Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’s diplomatic push in Moscow ended in a bad-tempered stand-off with counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
He tried to embarrass Ms Truss by appearing to walk out of a press conference.
He left her at the podium alone as he shot off after their joint address.
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He had sneered that ongoing talks to bring Russia back from the brink of conflict were like a “comedy”, adding: “It’s like speaking to a deaf person, as if we listen to each other but we don’t hear. Our detailed explanations fell on unprepared soil.”
And sneakily setting a trap, he asked Ms Truss: “You recognise Russia’s sovereignty over Rostov and Voronezh regions, don’t you?”
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According to Russian media, Ms Truss said the UK would never recognise Russian sovereignty over the regions — before the British ambassador told her the areas were in Russia and not Ukraine.
Lavrov also said there was no evidence of Russian involvement in the 2018 Salisbury poisonings which caused UK-Russia relations to nosedive to a new low.
In the first face-to-face talks in four years, Ms Truss insisted Russia must step back from the brink and dial down Cold War blackmail tactics.
But pro-Kremlin TV host Vladimir Solovyov accused her of “behaving in the classic British colonial style”.
A source close to the Foreign Secretary hit back, saying: “His bizarre jibes just showed Liz was tough, punchy and not willing to yield to the Kremlin. Britain stands full square behind Ukraine.”
Earlier, with half of all Russia’s combat troops now said to be massing at Ukraine’s borders, Ms Truss had attended a ceremony at Moscow’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
In Poland, Mr Johnson, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Nato chiefs and the Polish PM, urged Putin to avoid a “pointless, tragic” conflict.
But admitting the outlook was now grim, he admitted: “This is probably the most dangerous moment,
"I would say in the course of the next few days, in what is the biggest security crisis that Europe has faced for decades.
"We’ve got to get it right. The stakes are very high.”
HIGH STAKES
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg added: “The number of Russian forces is going up.
"The warning time for a possible attack is going down — we must be prepared for the worst.”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is braced for more bruising talks as he headed to Moscow last night.
He said Putin had ordered a nuclear strategic exercise to go ahead in days
And he admitted: “Despite the talking, the direction of travel is in the wrong direction.”
A thousand British troops are now on standby for an invasion on top of the 350 Royal Marines on their way to Poland for joint Arctic warfare drills.
The UK has also offered to send warships and RAF jets, on top of 900 troops in Estonia as part of a Nato deterrence mission.
Russia also faces financial consequences, with Foreign Office minister James Cleverly confirming laws for crippling sanctions had been signed in readiness.
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But some MPs were angry there was no vote or debate.
Labour’s Chris Bryant said: “It’s autocratic.”
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