London
\nThe West must not try to \u201cnormalise relations\u201d with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday, calling the crisis a \u201cturning point for the world\u201d.
\n\u201cThere are some around the world… who say that we\u2019re better off making accommodations with tyranny… I believe they are profoundly wrong,\u201d the British leader told his Conservative Party\u2019s Spring conference in Blackpool, northwest England.
\n\u201cTo try to renormalise relations with Putin after this, as we did in 2014, would be to make exactly the same mistake again, and that is why Putin must fail.
\n\u201cThis is a turning point for the world and it\u2019s a moment of choice. It\u2019s a choice between freedom and oppression,\u201d he added.
\nHis Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned on Saturday that peace talks to end the conflict could be a \u201csmokescreen\u201d for more extreme Russian military manoeuvres.
\n\u201cI\u2019m very sceptical,\u201d Truss told The Times newspaper in an interview.
\n\u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen is an attempt to create space for the Russians to regroup. Their invasion isn\u2019t going according to plan.
\n\u201cI fear the negotiation is yet another attempt to create a diversion and create a smokescreen. I don\u2019t think we\u2019re yet at a point for negotiation,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Also read: Russia\u2019s plan to evade US-backed Western sanctions revealed<\/p>\n
Truss echoed comments by British intelligence that Putin could turn to \u201cmore and more extreme actions\u201d, noting \u201cappalling atrocities already\u201d.<\/p>\n
Chief of Defence Intelligence Jim Hockenhull said on Friday that \u201cthe Kremlin has so far failed to achieve its original objectives. It has been surprised by the scale and ferocity of Ukrainian resistance and has been bedevilled with problems of its own making.<\/p>\n
\u201cRussia is now pursuing a strategy of attrition. This will involve the reckless and indiscriminate use of firepower. This will result in increased civilian casualties, destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure and intensify the humanitarian crisis,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Truss said that Britain could potentially act as a guarantor if any settlement is reached, and claimed Putin \u201cdidn\u2019t believe\u201d the international community would impose the scale of sanctions that it has.<\/p>\n
Britain has recently targeted high-profile oligarchs, including Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.<\/p>\n
Truss suggested it was \u201cextremely difficult\u201d to envisage those sanctions being lifted, saying the oligarchs \u201chave enabled Vladimir Putin to do what he\u2019s doing\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
London The West must not try to \u201cnormalise relations\u201d with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his invasion of Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday, calling the crisis a \u201cturning point for the world\u201d. \u201cThere are some around the world… who say that we\u2019re better off making accommodations with tyranny… I believe they are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-250318","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n