BORIS Johnson has landed in Poland for urgent security talks as a convoy of Russian tanks rumble menacingly towards Kyiv.
The PM is visiting Nato’s Eastern flank to meet allies on the frontline of mad Vladimir Putin’s ruthless aggression towards the West.
He is overseeing the latest batch of weapons being flown out to Poland and driven into Ukraine within “hours and days.”
Mr Johnson told his Cabinet: “It is becoming clearer with each day that Putin had made a colossal mistake believing that the guns of his tanks would be garlanded with roses when instead the Ukrainian people had put up a fierce resistance in defence of their homeland.”
Last night he said they are “two countries that are acutely affected by the current crisis in Ukraine. We have shared values that are more important than ever to protect, as the humanitarian situation gets worse. We speak with one voice when we say, Putin must fail.”
Western officials believe the struggling Russian attack has now deployed half the troops Putin had built up on Ukraine’s border since last autumn.
But they fear the frustrated Kremlin tyrant will resort to more “indiscriminate” shelling and bombing as he gets wound up at the slow pace of his invasion.
One said Putin had “stirred up a hornets nest but also underestimated the capacity of the Ukrainians to fight.
They added that is is “very clear they are well behind on the time frame they set out for themselves.” Bad planning and a failure to knock out Ukraine’s air defences in the opening salvo of his attack has left advancing Russian columns badly exposed and open to “smart” resistance from the Ukrainians.
One official also lashed out at the isolated Kremlin chief, suggesting he was not listening to advice.
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They said: “Putin’s inner circle, who he might discuss this sort of planning with, is very very small. The number of people on the inside of a decision making loop is very small indeed.”
Meanwhile more than 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing the invasion will be able to come to the UK, Priti Patel said.
The Home Secretary said immediate family, partners and children under 18, of Brits and Ukrainians already here will be able to come even if they do not meet usual visa requirements.
She said these applications were being prioritised but would not waive all visas over security fears despite calls from MPs to do so.
There are major fears Russians criminals or agents would exploit the check free access to the UK.
Instead humanitarian support will mostly focus on helping displaced people in neighbouring countries so they can return home as quickly as possible.
The UN said more than 500,000 Ukrainian refugees had already fled.
