Boris Johnson says Vladimir Putin is ‘bent on full-scale invasion’ of Ukraine

The Prime Minister said on Tuesday that the Russian President had “completely torn up international law” and is seemingly intent on capturing the capital of Kyiv.

Mr Johnson’s warnings came after Moscow ordered troops into two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine, allegedly to carry out “peacekeeping” duties.

The dramatic escalation came after Mr Putin recognised the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Donbas as independent states.

After chairing an early morning emergency meeting of the Cobra committee, Mr Johnson said he would later reveal sanctions against entities in Russia and the Donbas.

“This is I should stress just the first barrage of UK economic sanctions against Russia because we expect I’m afraid that there is more Russian irrational behaviour to come,” he told broadcasters.

“I’m afraid all the evidence is that President Putin is indeed bent on a full-scale invasion of the Ukraine, the overrunning, the subjugation of an independent, sovereign European country and I think, let’s be absolutely clear, that will be absolutely catastrophic.”