Boris Johnson Confirms UK Troops Won't Fight Russia In Ukraine Under Any Circumstances
UK troops will not fight in Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.
Johnson has again rejected Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy’s calls for British forces to actively join the effort, warning it would trigger a wider war with Russia.
Speaking at a military base in Estonia, Boris Johnson said: "I want to be crystal clear. We will not fight Russian forces in Ukraine.
"Our reinforcements, like these reinforcements here in Tapa, are firmly within the borders of Nato members and that is profoundly the right thing to do."
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Johnson has also insisted no Nato allies are contemplating Ukraine’s pleas to enforce a no-fly zone over the nation to prevent bombings from Vladimir Putin’s planes.
Johnson clarified that the UK is not actively supporting British nationals volunteering to help the defence of Ukraine, contradicting an earlier remark from Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
He said: “I think for any Nato member to get involved actively in conflict with Russia is a huge step which is not being contemplated by any member.
“This is a time when miscalculation and misunderstanding is all too possible and it’s therefore crucial that we get that message over.
“When it comes to a no-fly zone in the skies above Ukraine we have to accept the reality that that involves shooting down Russian planes … that’s a very, very big step, it’s simply not on the agenda of any Nato country.”
Elsewhere, Johnson committed to doing more to allow Ukrainians to come to the UK, with around 200,000 eligible under an expanded route for people to bring family members in.
He said: “What we are going to do is we are extending the family scheme so that actually very considerable numbers would be eligible… you could be talking about a couple of hundred thousand, maybe more.
“Additionally, we are going to have a humanitarian scheme and then a scheme by which UK companies and citizens can sponsor individual Ukrainians to come to the UK.”
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information.
Claire Reid