London: British Prime Minister's office in Downing Street informed on Friday that PM Borris Johnson would have talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week to persuade him from escalating tensions over Ukraine, Agence France-Presse reported.
Downing Street said that Johnson would urge Russia for diplomatic engagements as he is determined to avoid bloodshed in Europe.
At the moment, ties between Russia and the West are at the weakest since the Cold War. Relations started getting sour after Russia deployed more than a lakh of troops at the border of Ukraine. The British government will likely tighten sanctions on Russia, and the same may be announced on the British parliament on Monday. A senior Conservative legislator had written on a daily on Friday that dirty Russian money is flowing into London and threatens national security.
Johnson had warned Russia of severe sanctions if it invaded Ukraine's lands and said Moscow is risking the incitement of a prolonged conflict, creating a "new Chechnya".
The United Nations Security Council, where the UK is also a member, will gather a public meeting on the Ukraine issue on Monday.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops started training on firing anti-tank launchers Britain provided them as a defence against Russia. At the military exercises in western Ukraine, serviceman Zinovy Luzhansky said that the weapon is powerful. One shot is enough to destroy the enemy vehicle totally. The weapon could destroy any kind of armoured enemy equipment, he added.
Earlier, Britain had promised to supply Ukraine with light anti-armour defensive weapons and experts to train them. Britain, as well as the United States, increased their arms delivery to Ukraine this month. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted on Friday that there would be a full-blown war if needed.
In 2014, Russia took Crimea from Ukraine and now supports separatists in eastern Ukraine fighting against the government. The conflict has taken 15,000 lives so far.