UK will ‘stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine’ but ‘extremely unlikely’ to send troops – Raab says

Dominic Raab said Britain would not send troops to the Russia border

The UK will stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine, Dominic Raab said on Sunday but it is "extremely unlikely" British troops will be sent to the Russian border. The deputy prime minister, speaking on Sky News' Trevor Phillips on Sunday, said there will be "very serious consequences" if Russia invades Ukraine, as troops mount at the border. "We will support them in defending themselves but also to the international community, to NATO allies in the West, we're standing shoulder to shoulder saying there will be very serious consequences if Russia takes this move to try and invade and also install a puppet regime," he said. Raab said it was "extremely unlikely" British troops would be deployed, "but what we can say is we're already willing and engaging in training programmes to support Ukrainians defending themselves, that's absolutely right". The UK Foreign Office on Saturday accused Russia of trying to install a pro-Kremlin government in Kyiv, alleging that a  former Ukrainian MP was "being considered as a potential candidate". https://twitter.com/RidgeOnSunday/status/1485185935230881794 Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, told Sir Trevor he thinks Russia will invade Ukraine:  "I do believe this, it wouldn't be the first time." Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry told the programme the UK needs to be  "completely unified" in its position on Ukraine. https://twitter.com/RidgeOnSunday/status/1485181303704244225 "We have to be strong and we have to be unified, whether it's within NATO or our surrounding allies, and we have to play a part as the opposition in making sure in Britain we stand unified against this threat". Thornberry said that Vladimir Putin's threats are "outrageous" and warned that he will "take advantage of any disunity and any weakness" so Labour stands with the government on this issue. Related links:

• Tory MP claims she was sacked as her 'Muslimness was raised as an issue' in No10 meeting
• Sue Gray finds email showing staff knew Downing Street parties breached lockdown guidance
• No 10 staff partied until 1am in seven-hour booze session before Prince Philip funeral, reports say
• Senior Tory David Davis tells Boris Johnson 'in the name of God, go' in fiery PMQs showdown