Vladimir Putin had made a “colossal mistake” believing his troops would be “garlanded with roses” by Ukrainians but has instead met fierce resistance, Boris Johnson has claimed.
The Prime Minister told the UK cabinet that on Monday that the latest intelligence suggested Putin’s advances had been “hampered by logistical problems and the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian military who are inflicting significant casualties on Russian troops.”
Speaking ahead of a flying visit to Poland and Estonia on Tuesday and talks with the allies including US President Biden on Monday, the Johnson was bullish about the stalled Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister said it is becoming clearer with each day that Putin had made a colossal mistake believing that the guns of his tanks would be garlanded with roses when instead the Ukrainian people had put up a fierce resistance in defence of their homeland.”
In other developments:
- Downing Street said Priti Patel will say more on further actions to help Ukrainian refugees flee Ukraine as Nicola Sturgeon said not waiving visa requirements for people fleeing the Russian invasion in Ukraine risks being “embarrassing for the UK”.
- Dozens of people were killed and hundreds more wounded in rocket strikes by Russian forces on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday morning, the Ukrainian interior ministry said.
- Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich has accepted a Ukrainian request to help negotiate an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in peace talks.
Downing Street suggested law firms seeking to protect Russian oligarchs from sanctions could themselves be targeted with strict measures.
- The Kremlin claimed that President Putin placed Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert after statements from the UK’s foreign secretary Liz Truss.
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