Boris Johnson Says We Are Seeing "Unfolding Disaster" In Ukraine And UK 'Stands Ready To Take Refugees'
Boris Johnson flew to Poland this morning to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine (Alamy)
3 min read
Boris Johnson has called the situation in Ukraine an “unfolding disaster” as it is clear Vladimir Putin “is prepared to use barbaric and indiscriminate tactics against civilians”.
But speaking in Poland the Prime Minister said the Russian leader had “fatally underestimated” both “the passionate desire of the Ukrainian people to defend and protect their own country”, as well as the “unity and resolve of the West” in opposing his invasion.
After reports of devastating missile strikes in the country's second city Kharkiv overnight, Johnson said it was clear Putin was prepared to "bomb tower blocks, to send missiles into tower blocks, to kill children, as we are seeing in increasing numbers".
Ukraine has already accused Russia of war crimes over the bombardment of civilian areas, and the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said he plans to open an investigation "as rapidly as possible".
Meanwhile a military convoy around 40 miles long is north of the capital Kyiv amid fears that having failed to take the city so far, Moscow will attak it with a barrage of rockets and shells which could inflict devastating civilian casualties.
Johnson said Putin was already "tearing up every principle of civilised behaviour between states", adding: "He has hurled his war machine on the people of Ukraine, a fellow Slavic country.
"He has bombarded civilian targets, fired rockets at blocks of flats; he is responsible for hundreds of civilian casualties including growing numbers of children.
"And also, of course, for the deaths of many Russian and Ukrainian soldiers."
He said the rest of the world must accept "the grim reality that Putin will continue to tighten the vice," but paid tribute to the "leadership and courage" of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, and said he was more convinced than ever “that Putin will fail”.
"I think he has inspired and mobilised not only his own people, he is inspiring and mobilising the world in outrage at what is happening in Ukraine," the PM said of Zelenskyy, who has won widespread praise for his actions in opposing the invasion.
He also said “we stand ready clearly to take Ukrainian refugees in our own country”, despite ongoing criticism the UK is not doing enough to allow safe passage for those fleeing the conflict.
Speaking in Warsaw alongside his counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki, Johnson said the Polish government and people were doing an "amazing job, an inspirational job" in addressing the humanitarian crisis.
"We in the UK stand ready to help you, we have humanitarian supplies already coming in - I think two planes of medical supplies have already landed, there is more to come," he said.
Earlier Johnson’s deputy Dominic Raab said it must be clear "both to Putin but also to commanders in Moscow and on the ground in Ukraine that they will be held accountable for any violations of the laws of war".
The former Foreign Office lawyer told Sky News: "Those that engage in war crimes will be held to account."
Latest Ministry of Defence intelligence said the advance on Kyiv had made little progress over the past 24 hours, most likely due to logistical problems in the Russian army, but there had been increased use of artillery north of the capital.
Meanwhile satellite images from the Maxar company showed the next wave of forces massing around Kyiv, seen 17 miles from the capital on Monday.
Once Johnson finishes a series of meetings in Poland he is travelling to Estonia later today to help show the UK's support for its eastern Nato allies.
The Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is in Geneva addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, where she is due to accuse Putin of "violating international law".
"He is violating human rights on an industrial scale and the world will not stand for it," she will say.
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