US officials believe Russia could launch an invasion of Ukraine this week, though there remains some hope that a diplomatic solution could be reached.
Russia has surrounded Ukraine on three sides, with more than 100,000 troops amassed at the border, but has always denied that an invasion is planned.
Dr Paul Flenley, who is a senior lecturer in politics at the University of Portsmouth and an expert in Russian foreign policy, told Express.co.uk that the consequences of any invasion would be “enormous”.
He said: “I think the Russian population has not been prepared for an invasion of Ukraine and the consequences.
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