LONDON — Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Shoigu has
accepted an invitation to meet his British counterpart Ben Wallace to discuss
the crisis on the Russia-Ukraine border, a senior UK defense source said
Saturday.
اضافة اعلان
"The defense secretary is glad that Russia has accepted
the invitation to talk with his counterpart," the source said.
"Given the last defense bilateral between our two
countries took place in London in 2013,
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
has offered to meet in Moscow instead," added the source.
"The secretary of state has been clear that he will
explore all avenues to achieve stability and a resolution to the Ukraine
crisis."
Tens of thousands of Russian troops are massed on Ukraine's
border, along with an arsenal of tanks, fighting vehicles, artillery and
missiles.
Russia has denied it plans to invade but the White House
believes an attack could now come "at any point".
Britain's Foreign Office on Saturday updated its travel
advice to Ukraine in light of the crisis.
The department now advises against all travel to two
pro-Moscow separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as Crimea, which
Russia annexed in 2014.
It also advises against all but essential travel to the rest
of Ukraine and said British nationals are advised to register their presence in
country.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned on Friday that Moscow
risks becoming embroiled in a "terrible quagmire" if it invades.
In a speech in Australia, the UK's top diplomat issued a
blunt and personal warning to Russian President
Vladimir Putin that he is on
the brink of making a major strategic blunder.
He "has not learned the lessons of history," Truss
told Sydney's Lowy Institute.
"The Ukrainians will fight this, it could be a
quagmire" she said.
Britain is among a handful of Western nations rushing
weapons such as anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.
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