UK warns Putin would face ‘horrible quagmire’ if Russia invades Ukraine

Russia dangers changing into embroiled in a “terrible quagmire” if it invades Ukraine, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned Friday, elevating the spectre of a chronic, bloody and sapping battle for Moscow.

In a speech in Australia, the UK’s prime diplomat issued a blunt and private warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he’s getting ready to making a serious strategic blunder.He “has not learned the lessons of history,” Truss advised Sydney’s Lowy Institute, urging Putin to “desist and step back from Ukraine before he makes a massive strategic mistake.”“Invasion will only lead to a terrible quagmire and loss of life, as we know from the Soviet-Afghan war and conflict in Chechnya,” she stated, referencing Moscow’s previous conflicts that price a whole lot of hundreds of lives.Tens of hundreds of Russian troops are massed on Ukraine’s border, together with an arsenal of tanks, combating autos, artillery and missiles.The drumbeat of invasion has been rising for months and the White House believes an assault might now come “at any point.”Few navy specialists consider that Kyiv’s smaller forces — though quickly modernising — might repel an outright Russian invasion.READ | Explained: Why Russia is build up navy presence alongside Ukraine borderBut Truss underscored the dangers for the Kremlin even when it has the navy higher hand, suggesting a protracted Ukrainian resistance that ensnares occupying Russian forces.“The Ukrainians will fight this, it could be a quagmire” she stated.“Ukraine is a proud country with a long history. They have known invading forces before from the Mongols to the Tartars their resilience runs deep. If they have to, Ukrainians will fight to defend their country.”Russia has inflicted stress on Ukraine since an rebellion practically a decade in the past toppled a authorities that had resisted calls to maneuver nearer to the West.Moscow seized the Crimean peninsula in 2014 when a pro-Russian insurgency broke out in japanese Ukraine that has since claimed greater than 13,000 lives.Britain is amongst a handful of Western nations speeding deadly weapons — like anti-tank missiles — to Ukraine, dramatically growing the prospect of Russian casualties.Experts on the Atlantic Council in Washington have pointed to higher readiness amongst Ukraine’s forces and much-improved traces of defence in comparison with previous Russian and Russian-backed campaigns in japanese and southern Ukraine.Truss additionally stated {that a} Russian invasion would deliver “severe consequences” within the type of Western sanctions on “the financial sector and individuals”.READ | Putin can pay ‘expensive worth’ if Ukraine is invaded, says US President Joe BidenUK URGES ALLIES TO ‘STEP UP’The prime diplomat is at the moment on an official go to to Australia alongside British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.The journey comes as Western officers interact in frantic shuttle diplomacy, partly to forestall struggle, but additionally to beat variations in how to reply to any Russian aggression.Truss urged allies to “step up” within the face of the disaster, linking the Ukraine battle to a slew of more and more emboldened authoritarian regimes who need to “export dictatorship.”“Together with our allies, we will continue to stand with Ukraine and urge Russia to de-escalate and engage in meaningful discussions. What happens in Eastern Europe matters for the world,” she stated.That gained assist in Australia — which has come underneath fierce diplomatic, financial and political stress from China, one other authoritarian energy, lately.Speaking in Sydney on the conclusion of conferences on Friday, UK and Australian defence ministers drew parallels between rising tensions at this time and the pre-war Thirties.Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton echoed Truss’ name for “the free world to stand its ground.”“When you see Russia act the way they do, it encourages other bullies and other dictatorships to do the same, and particularly if there’s no pushback from the rest of the world,” Dutton advised the Seven Network.“Thousands of people will die and that is not a circumstance that anyone wants to see prevail. The build-up of the Russian troops is incredibly concerning.”WATCH: Is Russia getting ready to invade Ukraine? | Russia-Ukraine battle DECODED