Boris Johnson calls for pressure on Russia ahead of Poland and Estonia trip
March 1, 2022, 8:41 am

Boris Johnson calls for pressure on Russia ahead of Poland and Estonia trip

Boris Johnson-UK Prime Minister/Official Facebook page

The BBC reported, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the UK will "continue to bring maximum pressure to bear" on Russia as he flies to Poland and Estonia.

Mr Johnson said Vladimir Putin would "feel the consequences" for invading Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will also travel to Geneva on Tuesday to speak at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

According to the BBC, Mr Johnson is due to meet the leaders of Estonia and Poland to discuss the response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis on Ukraine's border, as well as European security.

He will also speak to Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg and meet British troops serving in Estonia - which shares a border with Russia.

UK defence secretary: Russia's invasion of Ukraine is 'not on schedule'

Ahead of the trip, Mr Johnson said: "Alongside all our international allies, the UK will continue to bring maximum pressure to bear on Putin's regime to ensure he feels the consequences of his actions in Ukraine.

"We speak with one voice when we say, Putin must fail."

Source: BBC

Sudanese protesters reach Republican Palace, demand civilian rule Study says long COVID hits children far less than adults

Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.