Ukraine-Russia latest: PM urges Russia to ‘come back from the brink’ of war as Kiev demands Kremlin meeting in 48 hours

Ukrainian civilians today attended basic combat training organized by the country’s National Guard in Mariupol, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, amid warnings from Western officials that a Russian invasion is increasingly imminent.

Vladimir Putin “doesn’t give a damn” about the threat of sanctions imposed by the UK and other Western countries, according to a senior Russian diplomat.

Viktor Tatarintsev, Russia’s ambassador to Sweden, said his country was already under a series of sanctions and said the measures were even having a positive impact on parts of the economy.

In an interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet published late on Saturday, Mr Tatarintsev said: “Excuse my language, but we are not giving anything away on all their sanctions.

“We’ve had so many sanctions already and in that sense they’ve had a positive effect on our economy and our agriculture.”

My colleague Tom Batchelor reports:

Even if a Russian invasion of Ukraine does not occur in the next few days, the crisis is reaching a critical inflection point with European stability and the future of East-West relations at stake.

A convergence of events over the coming week could determine whether the impasse is resolved peacefully or whether Europe is at war. At stake is Europe’s post-Cold War security architecture and the long-agreed limits to the deployment of conventional military and nuclear forces there.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold further crisis talks with world leaders in a bid to bring Russia back ‘from the brink’ of war with Ukraine.

It comes as Downing Street warns a feared Russian invasion of Ukraine could come ‘at any moment’.

A Number 10 spokeswoman said: “The crisis on the Ukrainian border has reached a critical stage. All the information we have suggests that Russia could be planning an invasion of Ukraine at any time. This would have disastrous consequences for Ukraine and Russia.

“There is still a window of opportunity for de-escalation and diplomacy, and the Prime Minister will continue to work tirelessly alongside our allies to bring Russia back from the brink.”

US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated they would pursue diplomatic avenues to ease tensions with Russia in an hour-long phone call today.

“President Biden has made clear that the United States will respond quickly and decisively, together with our allies and partners, to any further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” the White House said Sunday.

The Canadian Ministry of Defense has made the decision to withdraw its armed forces based in Ukraine to an unidentified destination in Europe.

Canadians living in Ukraine represent the third largest population in the country after Ukrainians and Russians.

Since 2015, Canada has maintained a 200-man training mission in western Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry said military personnel had been relocated due to “the complex operating environment associated with Russia’s unwarranted aggression against Ukraine”.