British Prime Minister, Boris Johnsonand the president of U.S, Joe Bidenheld a conversation this Monday in which both anticipated a “protracted crisis for Russia” if it invades Ukrainian territory. An attack would cause damage of “long-range” both for Moscow and for the rest of the world, both leaders stressed, a spokesman for Downing Street, the official office of the British head of government, reported after the meeting.

Johnson and Biden were at the same time convinced that a “crucial” diplomatic “window” is still open to reduce tension in Ukraine.

“Western allies must remain united in the face of Russian threats” and back a “meaningful sanctions package” should the Kremlin launch an attack on Ukrainian soil, they argued.

They also indicated that European countries must reduce their dependence on Russian gas, a move that “more than any other, would hit the center of Russia’s strategic interests.”

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned today that her government is “preparing for the worst in Ukraine” and contemplating the possibility of an “imminent” attack, while the prime minister said “something could happen as soon as in the next 48 hours.”

The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, for its part, announced that it will send a “reduced number” of troops to Lithuania to collaborate with “intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” tasks.

The British Government fears that a conflict in Ukraine will have consequences for the “migration crisis on the Lithuanian border with Belarus”.

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