Now the Defence Secretary sends the same warning Foreign Secretary Liz Truss sent last week.

This is despite countries neighbouring Ukraine, which include some of the poorest states in Europe, preparing to receive up to five million refugees because of the conflict with Russia.

“We have to recognise that the old concepts of fighting big tank battles on European land mass are over and there are other better things we should be investing in," the prime minister said in November 2021, when there were warning signs about Russian troops at Ukraine's border.

People are sharing details of how many refugees they can shelter in their own homes across the country - and are even offering free hotel accommodation and to build enclosures for refugee dogs.

A Russian officer had offered Ukrainian border guards on the Zmiiny Island to surrender "to avoid bloodshed and unjustified casualties".

“Ukraine reckons Russia has been helping the separatists with money and weapons, Russia says it hasn’t," Derbyshire said.

While rejecting fears that Putin has already anticipated penalties being imposed by Western countries, Cleverly insisted the West’s sanctions will have “a meaningful impact”.

Washington correspondent Nomia Iqbal said the Ukrainian ambassador’s statement was "one for the history books."

The Tory secretary also claimed the British Army “kicked the backside of Tsar Nicholas I in 1853 in Crimea” and claimed “we can always do it again”.