PM Boris Johnson Tours Europe, UK Prepares Additional Military Support For Ukraine

Ilustrasi militer Ukraina. (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of Defense of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Britain is working on a package of military support and economic assistance for Ukraine as the threat of a Russian invasion increases, a government spokesman said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to Europe this weekend to build support for ending the impasse with Russia. While there were no details on where PM Johnson would be visiting, his office said he wanted to engage more with the Nordic and Baltic countries.

"The crisis on the Ukrainian border has reached a tipping point. All the information we have suggests Russia could be planning an invasion of Ukraine at any time," the spokesman said.

The spokesman continued, PM Johnson is working with his allies on a support package for Ukraine that will be announced in the coming days.

It is understood Britain has supplied Ukraine with anti-tank weapons and military trainers, although the troops were ordered to leave at the weekend.

"There are still opportunities for de-escalation and diplomacy, and the prime minister will continue to work tirelessly with our allies to get Russia back from the abyss," the spokesman said.

Britain's support for Ukraine comes as PM Johnson grapples with the prime minister's worst domestic political crisis, with police investigating lockdown parties at his 10 Downing Street office and official residence. He is being questioned by police.

Allegations of rule violations have undermined PM Johnson's authority, leading some lawmakers from the ruling Conservative Party as well as opposition leaders to call for him to resign.

To note, the United States and Britain have said Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an invasion before the end of the Winter Olympics on February 20, in what would become Europe's biggest security crisis for decades.

Russia, which has more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, has denied accusations it may be planning to attack. Instead, they accuse Western countries of spreading lies to distract from their own aggressive actions.