Boris Johnson warns Russia of sanctions as soon as 'first toe-cap' crosses border

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said sanctions will be automatically imposed on Russia as soon as the 'first Russian toe-cap' crosses the border into Ukraine, at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"It's vital that in Moscow, they understand that the minute there is a further incursion into sovereign Ukrainian territory then those sanctions will apply," Mr Johnson said in Kyiv.

In the strongest show of solidarity yet in the face of increasing Russian aggression, Mr Johnson described the situation as "grim" but said diplomacy was still the best way out.

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Mr Johnson was due to call Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday but his plans were derailed by the Sue Gray report into parties at Downing Street during the pandemic.

Today, Mr Putin told a press conference that Russia's security concerns had been ignored by the West.

"We are carefully analysing the written responses received from the United States and Nato, but it is already clear that fundamental Russian concerns ended up being ignored," Mr Putin said, in his first significant public remarks in weeks on the crisis sparked by fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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