Britain will NOT engage in “direct conflict” with Putin

DOMINIC Raab today said Britain would NOT engage in a ‘direct conflict’ with Vladimir Putin – but warned Russia would be held accountable.

The deputy prime minister ruled out imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, warning it would lead to a “massive escalation”.

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But he insisted that those close to Putin risked being tried for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday: “We will not engage in direct military conflict with Putin because that would be a massive escalation, but that also feeds Putin’s narrative.

“Putin wants to say that he is actually fighting with the West – he is not.”

Mr Raab called no-fly zones “very difficult, very challenging” and said “we will do everything else to support the Ukrainians”.

And he warned Russian commanders and those around Putin who risked being tried for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The justice minister said the “ruthless and openly used tactics of the Putin regime must be held accountable”.

He added that this applies “not only to Putin himself, but also to anyone who takes illegal orders”.

Mr Raab said: “My point, the here and now in all this, is that I want and we want, and the ICC makes it clear that for all those commanders on the ground, to the people around Putin in the Kremlin, what they are doing now, whether they are giving or following unlawful orders to commit war crimes, they will be held accountable and they need to know that.”

It comes as Boris Johnson is ready to present world leaders with a six-point plan of action to fight the Russian leader.

The PM created a Aid package and sanctions and encourages partners to walk the talk.

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The PM will provide humanitarian and military assistance Ukraine at the heart of his strategy to isolate Russia.

Laying out his plan last night, he said: “Putin must fail and fail in this act of aggression.

“It is not enough to express our support for a rules-based international order – we must defend it against a sustained attempt to rewrite the rules with military force.”

“The world is watching.

“Not future historians, but the Ukrainian people will be our judge.”

Mr Johnson will welcome Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to Downing Street for talks.

On Tuesday he will receive the heads of state and government of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

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