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Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace has said that there is a ‘strong cause for concern’ that Russian President Vladimir Putin will proceed with the invasion of Ukraine.
The Secretary of State for Defence today made a statement to fellow MP’s in the House of Commons on the security of Ukraine.
"These are not the actions of a Russian government fulfilling its repeated declarations that it has no intention of invading Ukraine"
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says there is "strong cause for concern" that President Putin is "committed to invasion"https://t.co/mBGiPaCl8r pic.twitter.com/GigMoqSqYo
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) February 21, 2022
He said: “That as of 09;00 this morning there are more than 110 battalions surrounding Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus, 2 amphibious groups in the Black Sea, 9 cruise missile equipped Russian ships and further four cruise missile capable vessels in the Caspian Sea.”
There has been an increasing number of troops deployed in the last 48 hours, troops have moved from holding dispositions, to potential positions of attack.
The Defence Secretary claims that President Putin is on his way to leading a ‘humanitarian crisis’ if he goes ahead with the invasion.
Wallace added:” I believe he is in danger of setting himself on a tragic course of events, leading to a humanitarian crisis, instability and widespread suffering. Not just of the Ukrainians but also of the Russian people.
“The Government therefore urges President Putin for the sake of his own people even at this eleventh hour to rule out the invasion of Ukraine and recommit to diplomatic a process.”
Former Prime Minister Theresa May claims that further actions to invade Ukraine by the Russians will only lead to a strengthening of NATO.
She said:” Any Further action to invade Ukrainian territory by the Russians can only lead to a strengthening of the determination of the UK, NATO and the western alliance to defend the right of sovereign states and defend democracy.”
Russian troops alongside the Belarusian armed forces have been training, carrying out military exercises in Belarus which is only a few hours drive from Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. Military drills should be completed by now, however, drills have been extended sparking more fear of an imminent invasion.
Training drills first begun on February 10th as part of a 10 day exercise with over 30,000 Russian troops and majority of Belarusian armed forces taking part in drills close to the Belarusian border with Ukraine.
