UK Calls on Russia to Abandon 'Cold War Rhetoric'

UK's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned on Thursday, that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be "disastrous", as part of her diplomatic attempts to ease the crisis.

In her meeting with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Truss called on Russia to abandon the "Cold War rhetoric" and avoid war.

"The truth is that we cannot ignore the build-up of more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border and attempts to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity," Truss said.

"Basically, the war in Ukraine would be disastrous for the Russian and Ukrainian people, as well as the European security," she noted, stressing, "NATO made it clear that any incursion into Ukraine would have serious consequences and would entail huge costs."

Moreover, Truss urged Putin's administration to respect the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which committed the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), and Russia to respect and support Ukraine's independence.

Following their official talks, both ministers held a joint press conference.