Ukraine crisis: Johnson warns of “biggest war in Europe since 1945”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a war on the scale of World War II in view of the impending escalation in Ukraine.

"I'm sorry to say that the scale of the plan we're seeing is something that could really be the biggest war in Europe since 1945," Johnson told the BBC, who interviewed him at the security conference in Munich over the weekend.

He is referring to alleged Russian plans for an attack on Ukraine.

"People really need to understand how many lives could be affected," Johnson warned of the impending escalation and again announced severe sanctions for this case, which would be much more far-reaching than previously publicly indicated.

The US and UK plan to cut Russian firms' access to dollars and pounds, Johnson tells the BBC.

"Everything indicates that the plan has already begun in a way," said Johnson, who had been very aggressive in warning of Russian "false flag operations" in the past few days.

This is how deliberately staged actions are described, for which other forces - in this case Ukrainian forces - are held responsible afterwards.

Russia could stage something to create a pretext for an invasion, so the concern.

Multiple explosions were heard in the rebel-held eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Sunday.

A Reuters agency official said residents were being warned over loudspeakers.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosions.

NATO sees signs of 'full attack' on Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had already warned on Saturday evening that the alliance was expecting a comprehensive offensive by the Russian army on Ukraine.

"All signs indicate that Russia is planning a full attack on Ukraine," said Stoltenberg on Saturday evening in the ARD Tagesthemen.

According to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, Russia has made all preparations to be able to attack.

"We are well advised to be prepared," said the SPD politician in the ZDF-heute journal.

According to US information, Russia has gathered around 150,000 soldiers at the border.

However, Moscow denies attack plans.

The government there emphasizes that after some maneuvers had ended as planned, troops have now been withdrawn.

Stoltenberg: NATO wants a political solution

Stoltenberg, currently a guest at the Munich Security Conference, disagreed.

"Troops are not being withdrawn, as Russia says, but new troops are being added." There are also signs that Russia is preparing to create a pretext for an attack.

Stoltenberg emphasized that despite the threat of escalation, NATO is still sticking to a political solution.

"We want to get Russia to change course and sit down with us."

Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's NATO membership, which Russia had strictly rejected, was possible, but ultimately the decision of 30 allies.

At the moment it is less about NATO membership and more about "whether we accept that a great power like Russia is trying to dictate to another country what it can and cannot do - by force."