Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Andriy Yermak, confirmed that a meeting in Paris was planned but told Reuters a preliminary date had been set for 26 January.

 

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, held talks with Russian diplomats in Switzerland on Friday in an attempt to avert conflict, with Blinken and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, striking a conciliatory tone and the diplomatic process ongoing.

 

“We didn’t expect any breakthroughs to happen today,” Blinken said after the meeting. “But I believe we are now on a clearer path in terms of understanding each other’s concerns.”

 

Britain and Russia’s defence ministers will meet after Russia’s Sergei Shoigu accepted an invitation from the UK’s Ben Wallace to discuss mutual security. They will meet in Moscow.

 

“The secretary of state has been clear that he will explore all avenues to achieve stability and a resolution to the Ukraine crisis. We are in communication with the Russian government,” a senior UK defence source told PA Media.

 

It comes after Downing Street warned Russia would be “punished” if the country pushes ahead with any “destabilising action” in Ukraine, as an estimated 100,000 Russian troops sit on the borders of Ukraine.

 

No 10 said if Putin launched an offensive there would be a “package of sweeping measures” launched by western allies against the Kremlin.

 

But Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the foreign affairs committee, demanded advance action, saying the UK should be ready to financially support Ukraine so it is prepared for an invasion.

 

“I’d like to see all of us going further, because one of the things that’s delaying the ability of the Ukrainian people to mobilise their armed forces to meet any such invasion is, that has a huge effect on any country’s economy,” Tugendhat told the BBC. “If you take hundreds of thousands of people out of the workforce in order to stand guard they will have a real impact on jobs and lives in other sectors.”