Leave Ukraine while you can, minister warns amid fears Russia could invade within days

11 February 2022, 18:35 | Updated: 12 February 2022, 10:34

Minister demands Brits leave Ukraine 'immediately' amid invasion fears

British nationals in Ukraine have been warned not to expect a military evacuation and told to leave by any means possible while commercial flights are running, amid fears of a Russian invasion.

Armed forces minister James Heappey told LBC people should "leave now while commercial means are available."

He warned the worst-case scenario in the region would be a ground war between nations with powerful military capabilities but that all diplomatic options would be pursued.

"The UK will not play an active role in combat operations in Ukraine," he added.

Minister tells LBC no UK forces will defend Ukraine against invasion

Chair of the House of Commons Defence Committee Tobias Ellwood told LBC he believes a Russian invasion of Ukraine is now “inevitable."

The US has warned of the likelihood of a Russian invasion of Ukraine "within days," and all British nationals have been advised to leave the country.

The Foreign Office has advised all British nationals to leave Ukraine now and warned against all travel to the country and the US will evacuate its embassy.

Tobias Ellwood: Russian invasion of Ukraine 'inevitable'

The Foreign Office said the build-up of Russian forces – now estimated at some 100,000 troops – "increased the threat of military action".

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington believes Putin could invade Ukraine in the coming days, and he issued a warning to Americans in the country: Get out immediately.

He said: "We encourage all American citizens who remain in Ukraine to depart immediately.

"We want to be crystal clear on this point. Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible and in any event in the next 24 to 48 hours.

"The risk is now high enough and the threat is now immediate enough that this is what prudence demands.

"If you stay you are assuming risk, with no guarantee that there will be any other opportunity to leave and there is no prospect of a US military evacuation in the event of a Russian invasion."

He warned that Russia could invade inside a week, echoing earlier calls from Mr Biden for US citizens to leave Ukraine.

British embassy staff have also been withdrawn from Kiev, despite it remaining open, the Foreign Office confirmed.

It warned that "any Russian military action in Ukraine would severely affect the British Embassy Kiev's ability to provide any consular assistance", adding: "If you decide to remain in Ukraine, you should remain vigilant throughout due to potential combat operations, keep your departure plans under constant review and ensure your travel documents are up to date."

Tensions have continued to rise between the West and Russia over what has been claimed to be an "imminent" invasion.

Russia previously insisted that it had no plans to invade its neighbour.

Read more: Boris warns this is the 'most dangerous moment' in Europe for decades amid Ukraine crisis

Read more: 'Step back from invading Ukraine' Defence secretary warns Putin amid Nato talks

Defence Sec warns half of Russia's military is on Ukraine's border

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority, which is why we have updated our travel advice.

"We urge British nationals in Ukraine to leave now via commercial means while they remain available."

Boris Johnson told world leaders - including Mr Biden - earlier on Friday that he feared for the security of Europe, according to Downing Street.

After a virtual call, a No10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister told the group that he feared for the security of Europe in the current circumstances.

"He impressed the need for Nato allies to make it absolutely clear that there will be a heavy package of economic sanctions ready to go, should Russia make the devastating and destructive decision to invade Ukraine."

Defence Secretary: Further British troops 'could potentially' be deployed

Speaking during a press conference in Moscow, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he was not as optimistic as he used to be about putting a stop to the crisis on the Ukrainian border.

He said: "I think the direction of travel has been against the direction of the diplomatic travel over the last few weeks.

"We've seen continued build-up of forces as we've seen a build up of diplomacy, and you would hope that, actually... one goes up, one goes down - and I think that is why my optimism is not as (optimistic) as I used to be, or can be.

"And I'm hoping that the beginning today is an effort to try and see if there is a way forward to make sure we do de-escalate.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron refused to take a Russian Covid test while in Moscow for talks, with reports claiming that it was because he did not want them to get hold of his DNA.

He instead met President Putin at the end of a four metre long table to continue lengthy discussions over the crisis on Friday.

Ex-Defence Secretary speaks on Russian aggression against Ukraine

Despite ongoing talks between nations, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned that a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine could come before the end of the Winter Olympics - within a week.

He called on US civilians to leave the country too, saying: "Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible and in any event in the next 24 to 48 hours.

"We obviously cannot predict the future, we don't know exactly what is going to happen, but the risk is now high enough and the threat is now immediate enough that this is prudent."

Mr Sullivan added that there will be no military evacuation of US citizens if Russia invades.

He said: "The president will not be putting the lives of our men and women in uniform at risk by sending them into a war zone to rescue people who could have left now but chose not to."

The comments follow similar warnings from Mr Biden, who told NBC: "We're dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. It's a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly."

Asked whether there was a scenario that could prompt him to send troops to rescue Americans, Mr Biden replied: "There's not. That's a world war when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another. We're in a very different world than we've ever been."

Mr Biden is expected to speak to Mr Putin over the phone on Saturday morning.