British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to give a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that if Russia does not choose a peaceful route in Ukraine, it will suffer “huge consequences” from Western sanctions.
Truss was to meet with her Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov, the first such visit by a UK foreign minister in more than four years, to urge Moscow to comply by its international commitments and preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“The UK is determined to stand up for freedom and democracy in Ukraine,” Truss said in a statement as she departed on the two-day trip.
“I’m visiting Moscow to urge Russia to pursue a diplomatic solution and make clear that another Russian invasion of a sovereign state would bring massive consequences for all involved,” she added.
“Russia has a choice here. We strongly encourage them to engage, de-escalate and choose the path of diplomacy.”
Russia rejects any invasion intentions but demands that Ukraine never be admitted to NATO, as well as a slew of additional security guarantees against the US-led military alliance’s growth in the former Soviet bloc.
Lavrov said Tuesday that Washington was willing to discuss Moscow’s security concerns after a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Last month, the United Kingdom, which has long been accused of turning a blind eye to illicit money flows through London from Russia and elsewhere, said that it was tightening its regulations to inflict stiffer penalties on President Vladimir Putin’s regime.
If Russia invades Ukraine, the sanctions would leave “those in and around the Kremlin with nowhere to go,” Truss said at the time, warning that the package would be part of a concerted US-led reaction.
Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid a solidarity visit to Kyiv after the UK stated it was ready to offer NATO a “massive” deployment of troops, weaponry, warships, and fighter jets in eastern Europe.
