Ms Truss called for a joint response to threats, as she added that the UK needed to work “with partners like Australia, Israel, India, Japan, Indonesia and more”.
“Building closer ties with our friends and drawing other countries closer to the orbit of free-market democracies will ultimately make us all safer and freer in the years to come. It is time for the free world to stand its ground,” she said.
A source close to Ms Truss told The Telegraph: “Liz is using this speech to set out her stall on Russia and China. She wants Britain to take a global leadership position in challenging bad actors and be much tougher than we have been in recent times.
She wants closer defence and security ties with Australia and other democracies in Asia-Pacific so we can challenge Beijing and Moscow from a position of collective strength. That’s what her Australia visit is all about.”
Labour ‘supports territorial integrity of Ukraine’
Meanwhile Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer met with the Ukrainian ambassador Vadym Prystaiko on Thursday to “show him and the Ukrainian people that Labour is resolute in our support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
Sir Keir said Russia’s actions and threats could not be “justified nor tolerated and are driving a dangerous escalation of tension in the region and wider world”.
He also called on Mr Johson’s government to “focus” on the threat posed by Russia and not be “distracted by internal infighting or wider diplomatic squabbles”, in reference to the Covid-rule breaking parties that have engulfed the Conservative party.
Biden believes Putin has not made up his mind
The UK’s intervention on Russian aggression comes after President Biden said he did not believe Mr Putin wanted a full-blown war, although cautioned that he would pay a “dear price” if he did mount a military incursion against Russia’s neighbour.
Speaking at a news conference to mark his one-year anniversary in office, Mr Biden said while he believed Russia was preparing to take action, he did not think Mr Putin had made a final decision.
He suggested that the US would limit Russia’s access to the international banking system if it did further invade Ukraine.
