Boris Johnson has warned Vladimir Putin that further incursion into Ukraine would spell “disaster for Russia”.
The Prime Minister is expected to talk with the Russian president on Monday afternoon amid mounting fears of war in Ukraine.
During a visit to Essex on Monday morning, Mr Johnson said: “What I will say to the president, as I’ve said before, is that I think we really all need to step back from the brink and I think Russia needs to step back from the brink.
“I think that an invasion of Ukraine, any incursion into Ukraine beyond the territory that Russia has already taken in 2014 would be an absolute disaster for the world, but above all it would be a disaster for Russia.”
Mr Johnson has offered Nato a further 900 troops for deployment in Estonia and warships for the Black Sea.
He said the UK supports the “territorial sovereignty” of Ukraine but added that he believed Ukrainians will “bitterly” defend the country against incursion.
It comes as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met with his Hungarian counterpart in bid to rally eastern European allies against Russia as troops continued to mass on the Ukrainian border.
The UN Security Council is also meeting on Monday to discuss the crisis.
Mr Wallace said it was important President Putin heard the “disquiet and worry” coming from across Europe over a potential invasion of Ukraine
Speaking at a press conference in Budapest, Mr Wallace said: “It’s very important to deliver some very clear messages.”
He added: “I think it is clear that we all are in agreement that we don’t want instability. We don’t want war. We don’t want casualties. We don’t want migrant flows. We don’t want the high fuel prices and food prices, which would inevitably follow from any actions.
“I’m fully supportive of a visit and dialogue. In the end, we have to deescalate this, we have to stand up for the sovereign rights of Ukraine.
“But we also have to recognise that it is in both NATO and Europe and Russia’s interests not to resolve issues through conflict.”
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It comes as the Foreign Secretary is expected to announce plans for tough new sanctions on Russian oligarchs who have UK investments in a bid to deter a Moscow invasion of Ukraine.
Liz Truss said that under new legislation the government would be able to sanction individuals and businesses of economic or strategic significance to the Kremlin if Moscow invades Ukraine.
“Currently, the economic sanctions are fairly narrowly drawn so we could only target companies with a direct involvement in destabilising Ukraine,” Ms Truss told Sky News.
“What we are looking to do is widen that so any company of interest to the Kremlin and the regime in Russia would be able to be targeted.
“There will be nowhere to hide for Putin’s oligarchs, for Russian companies involved in propping up the Russian state.”
The former head of MI6 said sanctions alongside the provision of military assistance to Ukrainian forces could stop an invasion.
Sir John Sawers told the BBC’s Today programme: “[Russia] know they cannot occupy and hold Ukraine indefinitely so it’s right that we build up the cost to Russia now, make clear both from the military side and an economic side that they will pay a price, to try to deter them from the option of a major invasion.”
