Boris Johnson tonight voiced fears that Vladimir Putin could kill millions in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister admitted “I can’t see a way out” unless Russia withdraws its troops as he again ruled out a no-fly zone.
Asked if millions of people could die in the conflict, he told Sky News’ new show, Beth Rigby Interviews: “I think that it depends on Putin. It's up to him and to him alone.”
He added: “His best bet, I think, is to withdraw, to cease the violence and to allow a peaceful negotiation to begin.”
The Prime Minister admitted he had had “deeply upsetting” conversations with Ukraine’s President Zelensky, who is demanding a no-fly zone.
NATO allies including the UK have ruled out a no-fly zone due to the fear it would lead to all-out war between the nuclear-armed alliance and nuclear-armed Russia.
Boris Johnson was asked repeatedly by Sky’s Beth Rigby whether there were no circumstances in which he’d ever authorise a no-fly zone in Ukraine.
While he did not rule out a no-fly zone ever, he said: “It will require me to order RAF jets, UK pilots into the air with a mission to shoot down Russian fast jets.
“And that is something that all my life, literally all my life, all my childhood, we did everything we possibly could to avert.”
The PM warned “there's a line that is very difficult to cross”, adding: “I just want to stress that there's no Western country where that is on the agenda.”
Asked if the war could last a decade the Prime Minister answered: “I think again, that depends on Putin.”
Asked if he “can’t see a way out at the moment”, Mr Johnson replied: “I can't see a way out that doesn't begin with the realisation by the Kremlin that they made a catastrophic mistake, and that it's time to begin to withdraw immediately.”
The PM called for Russia to pay “reparations” to Ukraine and said Putin had abandoned "all norms of civilised behaviour" after bombing a maternity hospital.
The attack on Wednesday was said to have killed three people, including a child, and injured 17 others. It led to renewed calls from President Volodymyr Zelensky for Western warplanes to intervene.
The PM also warned he “fears” the next step could be for Russia to use chemical weapons.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson confirmed final details of a sponsorship visa for Ukrainians will finally be published on Monday after days of confusion.
Downing Street had previously suggested more details would arrive this week. But it’s now understood they will be unveiled over the weekend in a round of interviews by Michael Gove.
Mr Johnson said: “On Monday, you'll get from the levelling up secretary the programme that will allow people to come in.
“So people [who] want to welcome into their own homes, they can do so.”
Currently only Ukrainians with family links to Britain can apply to come here under a visa scheme which Tories have blasted for being too slow.
Under a new “humanitarian sponsorship” route, Ukrainians with no UK family ties will be able to come for an “initial 12 months” if they earn a sponsor in the UK.
Yesterday officials said talks were ongoing about the PM’s ambition for individual families to welcome Ukrainians into their own homes, with details still to be tied up.
The Prime Minister also admitted Brits will have a painful year as they are hit not just by inflation and his own tax hikes, but also the effect of war and sanctions.
“It may be a bumpy period, but we'll get through it as fast and as well as we possibly can,” he said.
Asked if “we're all going to have to take the pain while trying to defeat Putin?”, he replied: “Yes, I think that is right, absolutely right.
“I think that the West is going to have to learn the lesson of indulging and appeasing Putin and failing to wean ourselves off Russia, oil and gas.
“And we are now going to do the dramatic steps that we need to take, to have independent energy supply, so that we're no longer capable of being blackmailed by Putin.
“That, I think, is the right thing to do.”
