Sanctions Will Follow ‘First Russian Toecap’ in Ukraine, UK’s Johnson Warns

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a military briefing with Col. James HF Thurstan, commander of Operation Orbital, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 1, 2022. Peter Nicholls/PA

The UK and its Western allies are ready to launch sanctions against Russia “the moment the first Russian toecap crosses further into Ukrainian territory,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Kyiv on Feb. 1 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Johnson said the UK and allies “will always stand up for freedom and democracy and Ukrainian sovereignty in the face of aggression.”