Boris Johnson to hold press conference this afternoon

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a press conference later this afternoon with the German chancellor.

He is expected to urge Olaf Scholz to phase out Russian gas imports more quickly due to the war in Ukraine, and offer a helping hand to Berlin due to their heavy reliance on Russian gas and energy exports.

The move could also be seen as an attempt by Western nations relying on Moscow's energy exports to starve Vladimir Putin's war machine and the revenue he uses to fund his ongoing invasion. The UK has already pledged to end all imports of Russian coal and oil by the end of 2022, with gas likely to soon follow.

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In a tweet, Mr Johnson said: “Looking forward to welcoming @BundesKanzler Scholz to the UK today. I welcome his principled determination to end dependence on Russian energy. How we respond to Russia’s invasion will define the international order for years to come. We cannot let Putin’s crimes go unpunished.”

The meeting will come the day after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met with Nato counterparts in Brussels on Thursday, where she exclaimed she hoped to see "more countries" commit to banning Russian energy imports. The European Union also agreed on Thursday a wave of new sanctions which included an embargo on Russian coal imports.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has increased pressure for foreign leaders to cut their ties with Russia. “As long as the West continues buying Russian gas and oil it is supporting Ukraine with one hand while supporting the Russian war machine with another hand,” he said in Brussels.

Mr Kuleba seemed to particularly target Germany by urging