Boris Johnson has called Russia’s attack on a Ukrainian railway station “unconscionable”, as held talks with Germany’s chancellor on how to reduce dependency on Russian gas.
The two leaders condemned Russia’s strike on a crowded railway station in the Ukrainian city, Kramatorsk, which killed at least 50 people, suggesting the Russians were guilty of war crimes.
Ukrainian officials said 2,000 to 4,000 civilians had been trying to flee the Donetsk region and were waiting at the station at the time of the strike.
The Kremlin has denied that Russia carried out the strike, citing its defence ministry.
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The rail station had been packed in recent days as thousands of people sought to flee eastern Ukraine amid fears of a Russian offensive
The Kremlin has denied that Russia carried out the strike in Kramatorsk, citing its defence ministry
The prime minister said the attack showed the “depths to which Putin’s once-vaunted army had sunk”.
Mr Scholz said “we need to do everything in order to stop the senseless killing” in Ukraine.
“Killing civilians is a war crime and the Russian president bears responsibility for these war crimes,” he added.
Read more: Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov denies war crimes
The attack has been condemned by world leaders, with the EU describing it as “despicable” while the White House said the images were “horrific and devastating”.
More weapons, more sanctions
Boris Johnson praised Germany’s ‘seismic’ efforts to end its dependence on supplies of Russian oil and gas
During the news conference, the prime minister reiterated his stance that “Putin must fail” and announced the UK will send a further £100 million worth of high grade military equipment to Ukraine.
This will include more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and “precision munitions” such as drones capable of loitering in the sky until directed to their target.
Mr Johnson added that Western allies had joined together to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons, including helmets and body armour.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many Western allies have imposed harsh sanctions on the Kremlin and Russian individuals, including travel bans and asset freezes.
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Germany to wean off Russian energy
‘Seismic’ effort by Germany
In a bid to reduce dependency on Russian energy, Boris Johnson said the UK and Germany “agree on the importance of weaning ourselves off dependence on Russian oil and gas and ensuring that our energy security cannot be threatened by a rogue state”.
He also praised Germany’s “seismic” efforts to end its dependence on supplies of Russian fossil fuels.
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Although EU leaders have agreed a ban on coal imports, Ukraine is continuing to push for an embargo on Russian oil and gas.
But the amount member nations spend on coal in a year, is equal to what they spend on oil and gas in just days.