Liz Truss issues Ukraine warning to Vladimir Putin 

Liz Truss today channelled Margaret Thatcher as she posed for photographs while standing in a tank in a move which is likely to fuel speculation of a future Tory leadership bid. 

Mrs Thatcher, the former Tory premier, was memorably photographed riding in a British tank in West Germany in 1986 as she visited UK troops.

Ms Truss, the Foreign Secretary, recreated the images during a trip to Tallinn in Estonia as she visited British forces on NATO deployment. 

The photos were published after a survey of Tory members revealed Ms Truss is still the most popular Cabinet minister among the Conservative rank and file.

The Foreign Secretary has now occupied the top spot in the Conservative Home website’s monthly Cabinet league table survey for one whole year. 

The survey for November gave Ms Truss a net satisfaction rating of plus 82.3, placing her significantly ahead of all of her Cabinet rivals. 

The photos were taken before Ms Truss headed to Riga, Latvia, for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers today. 

She issued a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin when she arrived at the summit as she said it would be a ‘strategic mistake’ for Moscow to invade Ukraine. 

The Foreign Secretary said the UK will ‘stand with our fellow democracies against Russia’s malign activity’. 

She rejected the narrative put forward by Moscow that NATO is ‘provoking’ Russia as she said: ‘Any suggestion that NATO is provoking the Russians is clearly false.’ 

Liz Truss today channelled Margaret Thatcher as she posed for photographs while standing in a tank

Mrs Thatcher, the former Tory premier, was memorably photographed riding in a British tank in West Germany in 1986 as she visited UK troops

 The photos were published after a survey of Tory members revealed Ms Truss is still the most popular Cabinet minister among the Conservative rank and file

Ms Truss today warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that invading Ukraine would be a ‘strategic mistake’

The UK and the US have expressed concerns about the build-up of Russian forces on Russia’s border with Ukraine. 

The Kremlin has dismissed claims that it is preparing to invade but Ukraine is seeking ‘swift’ action from its allies to ‘deter’ a potential incursion by Moscow.

Ukraine has warned that Russia could launch a military operation ‘in the blink of an eye’.      

Ms Truss today warned Mr Putin against making an aggressive move as she insisted the UK will ‘stand with’ its allies. 

‘We want a world where freedom and democracy don’t just survive, they thrive,’ the Foreign Secretary said. 

‘To this end, we will stand with our fellow democracies against Russia’s malign activity.

‘We will support Ukraine and stability in the western Balkans, to safeguard their security and build their economic resilience.

‘We have seen this playbook from the Kremlin before when Russia falsely claimed its illegal annexation of Crimea was a response to Nato aggression. Nato is an alliance forged on the principle of defence, not provocation. Any suggestion that Nato is provoking the Russians is clearly false.

‘Any action by Russia to undermine the freedom and democracy that our partners enjoy would be a strategic mistake.’ 

The Foreign Secretary said the UK will ‘stand with our fellow democracies against Russia’s malign activity’

The meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Riga will focus on agreeing how to respond to Russia’s military build up near the Ukrainian border. 

Ministers will also discuss the ongoing tensions on the border between Belarus and Poland.   

Ahead of the summit in Latvia, the Foreign Secretary met British troops deployed in Estonia as part of NATO’s enhanced forward presence in the alliance’s eastern members.