“We stand with our friend against hostile actors and we will defend democracy at the frontier of freedom in eastern Europe and around the world,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Any Russian military incursion into Ukraine would be a massive strategic mistake and would come at a severe cost.”<\/p>\n
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‘Russia is the aggressor here’<\/strong><\/p>\n A build-up of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops and military equipment on the Ukrainian border has sparked fears Moscow is preparing to invade the country.<\/p>\n Russia<\/strong> denies this, but it has made a series of security guarantees<\/strong> it wants from the West.<\/p>\n The crisis comes seven years after Russian forces marched into Crimea and seized the territory from Ukraine.<\/p>\n The foreign secretary said Russia was waging a campaign to “subvert its democratic neighbours” accompanied by “baseless rhetoric and disinformation”.<\/p>\n “They have falsely cast Ukraine as a threat to justify their aggressive stance. They falsely accuse NATO of provocation – this could not be further from the truth,” she said.<\/p>\n “Russia is the aggressor here. They have massed a huge number of troops along the Ukrainian border and in illegally annexed Crimea.<\/p>\n “There is no justification whatsoever for Russia’s bellicose stance towards Ukraine. It is unprovoked and it is part of a wider pattern of behaviour by the Kremlin, reliant on disinformation and mistrust to seek to gain an upper hand.”<\/p>\n Truss warns of ‘crucial moment’<\/strong><\/p>\n The foreign secretary said she will be joining a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Friday to discuss the crisis, while talks between senior US and Russian officials in the Swiss city of Geneva will take place next week.<\/p>\n Ms Truss said these discussions would be “absolutely critical for peace and security in Europe”.<\/p>\n “It’s vital that NATO is united in pushing back against Russia’s threatening behaviour, and together we must hold Russia to its longstanding obligations,” she told MPs.<\/p>\n “There can be no rewards for aggression.<\/p>\n “We are reaching a crucial moment. The only way forward is for Russia to de-escalate and pursue a path of diplomacy.<\/p>\n “We will continue to stand together with our allies, steadfast in support of Ukraine and its future as a free and sovereign democracy.”<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/e3.365dm.com\/21\/12\/768x432\/skynews-vladimir-putin-russia_5623827.jpg\")
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