Europe is closer to war on the continent than it has been for 70 years, a UK minister has said.
James Heappey, UK armed forces minister, said Russia had in place the logistical means for an invasion of Ukraine that went beyond diplomatic showmanship.
He told the BBC that Moscow had prepared the “unglamorous stuff” to support an attack – such as fuel and medical supplies – that would not be needed if the build-up on the Ukrainian border were only about “winning leverage in diplomacy”.
International efforts to de-escalate the situation have gathered pace after warnings from the US that an invasion was imminent.
Boris Johnson is expected to hold further crisis talks with world leaders in a bid to bring Russia “back from the brink” of war.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Joe Biden to visit Kiev to show solidarity. He said he had not seen US intelligence on an invasion.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz will today meet Mr Zelensky in Kiev before heading to Moscow on Tuesday to meet Vladimir Putin.
