Will the UK and allies avoid division over sanctions against Russia on Ukraine?

Talks are being held to avoid giving Putin the gift of divisions among his enemies as Andrew Grice explains

A woman walks in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine on Wednesday (AP)

Boris Johnson told MPs on Wednesday that the first round of sanctions against Russia would hurt, adding: “It is vital that, after this first barrage, we work in lockstep with friends and allies around the world to squeeze him simultaneously in London, Paris and New York.”

So far, western allies are moving at broadly the same speed even if they opt for different measures. Downing Street said: “We are sanctioning financial institutions in the UK that the EU is not.” It insisted that people should look at the “whole package” coordinated by Nato allies.

Intense talks are being held to try to avoid handing Vladimir Putin what he craves and has often exploited in the past– divisions among his enemies. But inevitably there are tensions behind the scenes. These will likely grow as the pain of sanctions emerges, such as higher energy or petrol prices, for which leaders including Mr Johnson have done little to prepare their people.