UK PM Johnson says sanctions will be ready if Russia attacks Ukraine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said sanctions and other measures will be ready in the event of a Russian attack on Ukraine, and his government will ask parliament for sanctions on Russian individuals and companies.

Writing in The Times on Tuesday, Johnson said Britain is considering deploying Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters and Royal Navy warships to protect southeastern Europe.

Johnson also said Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will both travel to Moscow soon.

His comments come as officials in the United States say an attack by Russia on Ukraine could occur within days or weeks. Russia has amassed some 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border. It denies it is planning an invasion. 

"British sanctions and other measures will be ready for any renewed Russian attack," Johnson wrote.

"The government will ask parliament for new powers to sanction a wider range of Russian individuals and entities, including any company linked to the Russian state or operating in a sector of strategic importance to the Kremlin."

The UK is also preparing to reinforce the British-led Nato battlegroup in Estonia, Johnson said.

"I welcome Germany's statement that Nord Stream 2 would be reconsidered in the event of an incursion," he added.

On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden said after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be halted if Russia invades Ukraine. Scholz said the pair had the same approach to Ukraine, to Russia and to sanctions, but did not directly confirm the Nord Stream 2 plans.

Europe's most divisive energy project, Nord Stream 2 is designed to double the amount of gas flowing from Russia straight to Germany, bypassing Ukraine. 

Reporting by Shivam Patel in Bengaluru; editing by Richard Pullin

REUTERS