The United Kingdom has a thousand soldiers ready to leave for Eastern Europe if a humanitarian crisis arises there. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this during a press conference with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
It was dominated by the tension that had been built up by the Russian troop build-up on the border with Ukraine.
Johnson described the situation as the biggest security crisis for Europe in decades. Western countries fear that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine. “I don’t think a decision has been made yet,” the British Prime Minister said. “But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible that something catastrophic will happen in the short term.”
Western countries fear that an invasion could lead to a huge refugee crisis. Displaced Ukrainians can then massively try to reach EU countries. Johnson pointed to his country’s military contribution to security operations in Europe. “And we’re also mobilizing 1,000 troops to prepare for a humanitarian crisis that could take place on NATO’s eastern border.”
