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Putin's war with Ukraine wasn't expected, says Christian MP

Mr Pound, the joint-secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine, was speaking after the chairman of a report from the House of Lords EU Select Committee, Lord Tugendhat, accused Britain and the European Union of a "catastrophic misreading" of the situation running up to the Ukraine crisis.

The document said Europe "sleepwalked" into the civil war, and that "the Government has not been as active or as visible on this issue as it could have been", given that it signed an agreement in 1994 saying it would respect Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Stephen Pound, the MP for Ealing North said: "It's a damning report by Lord Tugendhat, but the fundamental point that President Vladimir Putin's actions in eastern Ukraine could have been anticipated I think is tendentious because you can't anticipate what this man's going to do."

He also raised concerns that Russia was using the Orthodox Church to hide its own internal problems.

He told Premier's News Hour: "Russia has massive internal problems. The rouble is plunging, pensions are not being paid, salaries are falling, the infrastructure's collapsing and oil prices are tanking - and one good way to unite the nation is to create an external enemy.

"Ultimately it will never ever be a dispute that's resolved militarily; it will have to be resolved politically.

"Russian aggrandisement is visible even in western Ukraine, certainly by the amount of money that they're pouring into the Orthodox churches, which is almost used as an extension of the state.

"Putin sees the strength of the Orthodox as the strength of Russia."

Meanwhile, David Cameron's warning Vladimir Putin of "more consequences" if the ceasefire in Ukraine ends.

The Prime Minister says the west is prepared to maintain pressure on Moscow for "the long term".

Listen to Stephen Pound speaking to Premier's Des Busteed on the News Hour:

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