The UK’s defence chief looks set for crunch talks with his Russian counterpart as war in Ukraine looms.

Ben Wallace is expected to fly to Moscow to meet Sergei Shoigu amid a desperate scramble to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Both men have publicly offered to speak in recent days and the Press Association reports that a face-to-face meeting will now go ahead.

It will mark the first bilateral defence talks between London and Moscow since 2013.

The development comes a day after US secretary of state Anthony Blinken met with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva.

While the talks did not produce a breakthrough, they ended cordially and with a commitment from the US to respond formally to Kremlin demands on Nato expansion next week.

The Americans even raised the prospect of president Biden meeting with president Putin, keeping hopes alive negotiations could deescalate tensions.

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On the UK-Russia talks, a senior defence source told PA: ‘The defence secretary is glad that Russia has accepted the invitation to talk with his counterpart.

‘Given the last defence bilateral between our two countries took place in London in 2013, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has offered to meet in Moscow instead.

‘The secretary of state has been clear that he will explore all avenues to achieve stability and a resolution to the Ukraine crisis. We are in communication with the Russian government.’

Downing Street warned Russia this week that it would be ‘punished’ if the country pushes ahead with any ‘destabilising action’ in Ukraine.

Foreign secretary Liz Truss warned the Russian president he must ‘desist and step back’ from war in Ukraine or risk being dragged into a prolonged conflict like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Speaking at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, she said: ‘If there is an incursion by Russia into Ukraine, it would come at a massive cost.

‘We are prepared to put very severe sanctions in place, we are also working to support Ukraine in terms of defensive capability.’

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The UK has provided the Ukrainian military with anti-tank missiles and sent experts to train soldiers on how to use them, a move which has angered Moscow.

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, has said he believes a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be ‘imminent’.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: ‘Putin is taking full advantage of a weakened West. We are looking risk-averse, somewhat timid.

‘Putin’s ultimatum demanding Nato push back, of course that was dismissed but that’s given him the pretext to say that there is an aggressor and that he must act.

‘We see these combat-ready troop formations. He has actually boxed himself into a corner because so much effort has been put into this.

‘He also recognises that he will never again be as strong as this to take advantage of the  West’s weakness. I suspect that an invasion is now imminent.’

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