Dominic Raab, the UK deputy prime minister, has ruled out imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine during the Russian attack, saying this would lead to a “massive escalation”.
Echoing the words of Boris Johnson, he said Vladimir Putin “must fail” – but warned this may take time.
Also on Sunday, the PM put forward a six-point plan for the international community to support Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
This included maximising economic pressure on the invading country and doing more to help Ukraine to defend itself and preventing a “creeping normalisation” of what Russia is doing to its neighbour.
“We cannot allow the Kremlin to bite off chunks of an independent country and inflict immense human suffering and then creep back into the fold,” Mr Johnson wrote in the New York Times.
Meanwhile, the UK defence secretary Ben Wallace has warned the Russia leader to neither “test” nor “underestimate” the UK.
‘Cut the red tape’ for Ukrainian refugees, Tory MP says
Sir Roger Gale, a Tory MP, has called to “cut the red tape” for refugees fleeing Ukraine:
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 09:22
Raab rules out no-fly zone over Ukraine
The UK deputy prime minister ruled out imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying this would lead to a “massive escalation” and would feed into the Russian president’s narrative.
He told Sky News’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme: “We’re not going to get ourselves into a direct military conflict with Putin because that would be a massive escalation, but also that feeds Putin’s narrative.
“Putin wants to say that he’s actually in a struggle with the west – he’s not”.
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 09:07
BREAKING: Dominic Raab dismisses fears that Putin will use nuclear weapons as ‘rhetoric’
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 09:06
Russian commanders risk war crime prosecution, Raab says
Dominic Raab has also warned Russian commanders and those around Vladimir Putin that they also risked being prosecuted for war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The UK deputy prime minister said the “reckless and frankly applying tactics by the Putin regime must be held to account”.
He told Trevor Phillips On Sunday on Sky News this applied “not just [to] Putin himself, but also anyone taking illegal orders”.
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 08:54
Putin ‘must fail’ – UK deputy prime minister
Dominic Raab, the UK’s deputy prime minister, is speaking on Sky News this morning about Ukraine.
He says Vladimir Putin “must fail” in his invasion – but this may take time:
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 08:47
Russia ‘targeting populated areas’ of Ukraine – UK intelligence
UK military intelligence has said Russian forces are targeting populated areas in Ukraine but that the strength of resistance is slowing the advance of Vladimir Putin’s army.
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 08:35
What are the six points in Boris Johnson’s plan?
Here are the six points the UK prime minister urged the international community to follow to help Ukraine:
- Mobilise an international humanitarian coalition
- Do more to help Ukraine to defend itself
- Maximise the economic pressure on Mr Putin’s regime
- Prevent any creeping normalization of what Russia does in Ukraine
- Be open to diplomacy and de-escalation
- Act now to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security
Boris Johnson explained them in the New York Times:
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 08:18
Boris Johnson’s six-point plan for Ukraine
Boris Johnson has told international leaders that “the world is watching”, as he urged them to back a six-point plan he hopes will help crush Vladimir Putin’s onslaught of Ukraine.
Rob Merrick, our deputy political editor, has more details:
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 08:06
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of all things UK politics as Russia wages its war in Ukraine.
Zoe Tidman6 March 2022 08:05