London. January 30th. INTERFAX - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends to intensify diplomatic measures to resolve the situation around Ukraine while strengthening the "policy of containment" of Russia, a representative of Johnson's office in Downing Street said in a statement.
"The Prime Minister is determined to step up diplomatic efforts and strengthen deterrence to avoid bloodshed in Europe," the official said.
The statement notes that Johnson plans to hold a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, during which he "will confirm the need for Russia to retreat and embark on the path of diplomacy."
As part of the "diplomatic offensive", Johnson intends to visit a number of Eastern European countries, including Ukraine.
The Prime Minister's office announced the upcoming visit of British Foreign Minister Liz Truss to Moscow in the next two weeks.
According to the minister's article in The Telegraph newspaper, "The United Kingdom is proud to take a leading role in protecting freedom and democracy through reliable deterrence and diplomacy."
She said that Johnson's conversation with Putin, the Ukrainian issue at the UN Security Council and her visit to Russia will be the components of the "offensive".
At the same time, according to world media, Johnson gave the armed forces an order to prepare for a major military deployment that will strengthen the borders of Europe and ensure Britain's support for NATO allies "on land, at sea and in the air."
The Prime Minister, announcing the UK's plan to increase the number of British military personnel in NATO, said: "This step would send a clear signal to the Kremlin - we will not tolerate their destabilizing activities, and we will always support our NATO allies in the face of Russia's hostility."
According to media reports, it is expected that the UK plans to double the number of its military in Estonia.
