Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeated that over the weekend, saying Ukraine is not a part of NATO and therefore not entitled to NATO's one for all, all for one protection. The danger, however, with sanctions is they push Moscow further away from the West and towards the East, meaning Mr Putin may develop yet closer relations with Beijing. Germany's pausing of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is perhaps the most significant step to punish Vladimir Putin because of the likely impact on the Russian economy. Nor can much respite be expected by greater production from the OPEC cartel of oil producing nations. Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said these troops would be used “first and foremost” to deal with any humanitarian crisis. The former minister, currently a serving Conservative MP, pointed out that the prime minister grew up without that existential threat. It is called self-determination, and perhaps the most important aspect of this principle is that borders cannot be changed by invading armies. A document signed by Putin on Monday also allows him to establish military bases or place missiles in the territories. The Russian president has recognised the independence of two Russian-controlled territories in east Ukraine. The territories have been armed, financed and politically controlled by Russia since 2014. But be we warriors or wimps, now is the time to start facing up to the prospect, says Ed Arnold, a European Security Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. Support links This included £2.5 billion in military support and a historic long-term security agreement. This brings the United Kingdom’s total package of support to Ukraine to approximately £12 billion. We remain deeply humbled by the bravery and the resilience of the Ukrainian people and their determination to win. US forces will not get directly involved now, but military assistance will be swiftly provided by some Nato states, including lethal aid, intelligence-sharing and weapons such as man-portable missiles (as in Afghanistan). If fighting is prolonged and civilian casualties mount, pressure on the west to intervene will grow rapidly. Mr Putin said the military operation's objective was to defend the people in the breakaway areas. Ukraine's Western allies had repeatedly warned that Russia was poised to invade, despite repeated denials from Moscow. The US, EU, UK and Japan imposed sanctions against leading Russians, Russian banks and MPs who backed the move. Is UK conscription for a citizen army a realistic plan? Phillips P OBrien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, wrote in an analysis piece that the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House could see the US neuter the Western military alliance. Alexei Kulemzin said Ukraine was behind the strike on the eastern Ukrainian city, which is currently under Russian occupation. The Russian-installed mayor of Donetsk has reported at least three civilians have been killed in a rocket strike. But others have responded by prepping for war - stocking food and fuel. As Gen Sir Patrick Sanders stated several times in his speech on Wednesday, Ukraine really matters. Russia's ambitions, he said, were not just about seizing territory but about defeating our system and way of life politically, psychologically and symbolically. It comes as the UK has said that tougher sanctions against Russia in the event of an invasion of Ukraine will mean “a much broader range of individuals and businesses can be sanctioned due to their significance to the Kremlin”. Ms Truss today told Mr Lavrov that an invasion of Ukraine by Russia would have “massive consequences and carry severe costs”. Potential energy disruption If Russia did decide to invade Ukraine, the senior Western intelligence official said large numbers of people would be displaced. Russia might use the crisis to launch cyber and other hybrid attacks on Nato countries. It could even send troops to the three Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. After 2,000 anti-tank weapons were delivered last week and 30 British troops arrived to teach Ukrainian forces how to use them, the phrase God Save the Queen began trending on Twitter in Ukraine. Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said these troops would be used “first and foremost” to deal with any humanitarian crisis. The Prime Minister has announced 1,000 more British troops will be put on alert in the UK, however, he said Nato is unwilling to send troops into Ukraine itself. Meanwhile, Russia and its ally Belarus have started 10 days of joint military drill. Mr Johnson said 350 Royal Marines from 45 Commando had now arrived in Poland, joining 150 personnel already in the country. The decline in manufacturing means there are far fewer factories that can be converted to make arms, as happened in the Second World War, when car makers churned out Spitfire parts. And in a globalised world, many industries that are key in wartime rely on imports. This means were Russia to attack a neighbouring Nato state such as Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania, for example, it would then be at war with all 31 Nato members. Mr Putin has frequently warned other countries against intervening in Ukraine. A Russian vessel that features prominently in the documentary is known to have navigated waters off the coast of Scotland in November 2022 that are packed with oil and gas pipelines and communications cables. UN ambassadors have told a new BBC documentary about the moment they learned of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Europe’s most divisive energy project, Nord Stream 2 bypasses the traditional gas transit nation of Ukraine by running along the bed of the Baltic Sea. That deal also contained a ceasefire agreement, which is now also void. A 30-year-old resident of a neighbouring house sustained a brain injury. Russian forces attacked eight communities in the Sumy oblast overnight, causing more than 24 explosions, the Sumy regional military administration said. Mr Zelenskyy has called for public officials to disclose their incomes to increase transparency and eliminate corruption as Ukraine tries to meet the stringent requirements for its bid to join the European Union. Apart from Saudi Arabia, most are already struggling to increase production in line with the cartel's recent increases in quotas. https://euronewstop.co.uk/how-many-aircraft-has-russia-lost-in-ukraine.html said the UK will likely fly planes over neighbouring countries, such as Poland, where they can see into Ukraine but will not be directly involved in the conflict. Cuts have already seen the size of the British Army fall from more than 100,000 in 2010 to around 73,000 now. Gen Sanders said that within the next three years the British Army needed to be 120,000 strong with the addition of reserves. But he said even that is not enough - so the Army should be designed to expand rapidly to enable the first echelon, resource the second echelon, and train and equip the citizen army that must follow. But he was making the point that if war broke out troop numbers would be too small.
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