Daughter fears for mother's safety in Ukraine amid Russian invasion threat
Watch video report from ITV Meridian's Kerry Swain
A Ukranian woman from Hampshire has told ITV Meridian that she fears for her mother's safety and is desperately trying to get her out of the country, as fears rise of a Russian invasion reaching the capital.
Hanna Greentree, originally from Ukraine, has lived in the UK since 2017.
Her 65-year-old mother who works as a doctor in Ukraine and lives in a town close to the Russian border, not far from the military training camp where troops have been stationed.
Hanna says her mother's admitted she is ready to leave the country at any point, and has packed her things and has her documents ready.
US intelligence sources believe an invasion could commence at 3am local time - 1am in the UK, on Wednesday.
Current visa rules say that Hanna’s mum, who doesn't want to be named, cannot come to the UK with a residential visa, unless she would have a room to herself.
Hanna is now calling on the UK government to relax feels the visa rules enable her mum to be safe in the UK until the situation in Ukraine calms down.
Hannah said "She doesn't know where to go, but says she will do everything to make herself safe.
"I had a conversation with her and I think it's quite difficult for people to describe being in this position.
"People will do anything just to relieve the tension, and that's exactly what my mum said", continued Hanna.
"Whatever it is, to help keep the peace, we will do it.
"My mum doesn't belong the Russia, but she will, because she doesn't want to fight. Most people don't want to fight, but all we want is to guarantee the peace."
Russia has claimed it is reducing its military presence on the Ukraine border but the claims are being met with scepticism by the West and Ukraine.
Isle of Wight MP, Bob Seely, is a Tory member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. He said reports of Russian troop withdrawals should not be seen as "the end of the story".
He said Moscow still had "many troops around Ukraine" and could "redeploy more at short notice". Vladimir Putin had "already taken victories from the crisis", including having more troops stationed in Belarus.
"In the next decade, Russia will continue to try to: collapse Ukraine, shatter the unity of Nato & EU, demand a sphere of influence & thru years of war propaganda, build the image of the West as the enemy, not ally, of Russia," he said on Twitter.
"We need a long-term and coherent plan and a strategy to deal with a dangerous world."
He added that he was grateful to the Foreign Office for assisting one of his constituents with an emergency passport to flee Ukraine.
Boris Johnson has said there are "mixed signals" coming out of Russia about the prospect of an invasion of Ukraine - but an "avenue for diplomacy" remains open.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also said he was prepared for further talks with the US and Nato to ease tensions in eastern Europe. Following a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee, Mr Johnson suggested there is a "diplomatic opening" to resolve the crisis without a war.
A Downing Street source said there was "some hope" that diplomacy could work and Russia could step back.
Russia's defence ministry said some of its troops in the regions bordering Ukraine were returning to base following the completion of military exercises.