EKO HOT BLOG reports that the UK is considering offering to double its number of troops deployed in Eastern Europe, as ministers weigh up options to increase pressure on Russia amid heightened tensions over Ukraine.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the possible deployment would send a “clear message to the Kremlin”.
The defence and foreign secretaries are preparing to meet their counterparts in Moscow to encourage de-escalation.
Read also: Ukraine Tension: Russian Invasion Would Be ‘Horrific’, US Military Warns
Johnson will phone Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming days.
The prime minister, who will also visit Eastern Europe this week, said the UK would not tolerate Russian “destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our Nato allies”.
He added: “If President Putin chooses a path of bloodshed and destruction, it will be a tragedy for Europe. Ukraine must be free to choose its own future.
“I have ordered our armed forces to prepare to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our Nato allies on land, at sea and in the air.”
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Russia has placed about 100,000 troops, tanks, artillery and missiles near Ukraine’s border, but denies it plans to invade the former Soviet republic, which borders both Russia and the EU.
The UK has more than 900 military personnel based in Estonia, more than 100 in Ukraine as part of a training mission, while a light cavalry squadron numbering about 150 is deployed to Poland.
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