LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin told British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that members of the NATO military alliance were threatening Russia by expanding activity in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
U.S. intelligence assesses that Russia could be planning a multi-front offensive on neighboring Ukraine as early as next year, involving up to 175,000 troops.
The Kremlin denies it plans to invade and says the West is gripped by Russophobia. Moscow says the expansion of NATO threatens Russia and has contravened assurances given to it as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
“Vladimir Putin gave a detailed outline of his principal evaluation of the current situation around Ukraine,” the Kremlin said of the call with Johnson.
“It was underlined that all this is happening against the background of active military ‘expansion’ on the territory of Ukraine by NATO countries creating a direct threat to the security of Russia,” the Kremlin said.
Johnson warned Putin that any destabilizing action against Ukraine would be a strategic mistake with significant consequences, Downing Street said.
Downing Street said Johnson “emphasized the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that any destabilizing action would be a strategic mistake that would have significant consequences”.
Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss tensions in Europe and “aggressive” U.S. and NATO rhetoric during a video call on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.
The conversation will take place at a moment of high tension in both countries’ relations with the West.
“The situation in international affairs, especially on the European continent, is very, very tense right now and requires discussion between allies,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, referring to Moscow and Beijing.
“We see very, very aggressive rhetoric on the NATO and U.S. side, and this requires discussion between us and the Chinese.”
Russia has cultivated closer ties with China as its relations with the West have worsened, and Putin has used the partnership as a way of balancing U.S. influence while striking lucrative deals, especially on energy. He and Xi this year agreed to extend a 20-year friendship and cooperation treaty.
Peskov said they would hold a long conversation with a broad agenda including energy, trade and investment.