UK’s Johnson accuses Putin of ‘barbaric’ attacks on ‘innocent civilians’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Russian President Vladimir Putin is using “barbaric and indiscriminate tactics against innocent civilians” in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking on a visit to Poland, Johnson says Putin is prepared to “bomb tower blocks, to send missiles into tower blocks, to kill children, as we are seeing in increasing numbers.”

Johnson thanks Poland for taking in hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the violence. He says the UK will send more humanitarian aid and will take in refugees “in considerable numbers.”

The British government has been criticized for not matching the European Union, which says it will let Ukrainians stay for up to three years without applying for asylum. Britain says it will allow Ukrainians in the country to bring their immediate family members to the UK. That applies to partners and children, but not parents or siblings.

A spokesman for Johnson says that the UK government is open to ejecting Russia as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

“The prime minister hasn’t set out any position on that,” he tells reporters. “What is right to say is that we want to see Russia isolated diplomatically, and we will consider all options to achieve that.”