Prime Minister asserts that an invasion will backfire, leading to greater NATO unity and military deployments

Boris Johnson has cautioned Russian President Vladimir Putin that an invasion of Ukraine will only serve to bolster NATO, not weaken it as Putin claims. The UK Prime Minister stated that the UK would continue to support NATO unconditionally, sending a strong message that the alliance remains resolute in its defence commitments.

As Russia amasses around 130,000 troops near Ukraine’s border, Johnson highlighted that NATO forces are being reinforced in response to the growing threat. He mentioned the possibility of deploying RAF Typhoon jets and Royal Navy warships to safeguard south-eastern Europe, in addition to the 350 British troops already stationed in Poland.

In an article for The Times, Johnson remarked, “If Putin proceeds with further aggression, he will only accelerate the very outcome he seeks to prevent—strengthening NATO’s resolve and presence in the region.” The presence of NATO forces on the alliance’s southern and eastern flanks has already intensified, with Britain, the US, France, and Italy bolstering defences. Johnson stressed that Russian actions would reaffirm NATO’s essential role in European security.

The Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, is set to visit Moscow later this week for diplomatic talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an attempt to de-escalate tensions. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed the dispatch of British troops to Poland, calling the move a signal of solidarity between the UK and Poland, particularly as Poland faces its own security concerns at the Belarusian border.

Wallace defended NATO’s defensive posture, insisting that the alliance posed no threat to Russia and reaffirming its purpose as a collective self-defence mechanism. “NATO is not about dividing Russia; it is about ensuring the security of its members,” Wallace stated.