UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, said on Sunday that Russia‘s denials about invading Ukraine were untrue, as Washington warned that Moscow‘s army was nearing full strength at the border.

Truss remarked in a tweet on Sunday, “The depths of Russian attempts to subvert and threaten Ukraine are clear. Russia’s actions show their claims to have no plans to invade are false.” 

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She added, “We and our allies stand united in support for Ukraine and our resolve to raise the cost to Russia if they take further action.”

The foreign secretary was alluding to an article in the Washington Post based on US intelligence assessments that stated that if Russia occupied Kyiv, 50,000 civilians would be slaughtered.

According to the assessment, an invasion would cause a significant humanitarian crisis, displacing up to five million people.

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According to seven sources, 83 Russian battalion tactical units with approximately 750 men have been sent to the border, up from 60 groups two weeks ago.

According to the Washington Post, this accounted for around 70% of the forces Vladimir Putin would require for an invasion.

It occurred as French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that his “intense” talks with Russia had already prevented a Russian military war. On Monday, he will meet with Putin in Moscow.

“The intensity of the dialogue we have had with Russia and this visit to Moscow are likely to prevent (a military operation) from happening. Then we will discuss the terms of de-escalation,” the French president told the Journal de Dimanche.

“I have always been in a deep dialogue with President Putin and our responsibility is to build historic solutions,” he added.  

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Belarus’ dictator and president, Alexander Lukashenko, declared on Sunday that his forces would fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine “starts fighting with us or against Russia.”

Russia has amassed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, which the US and UK governments believe is a prelude to an invasion. Officials in Ukraine have tried to downplay such fears, saying on Sunday that a diplomatic settlement was still a better bet than a military war.