On Monday this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin advised U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson that members of the NATO military alliance were threatening Russia by increasing their presence along the Ukraine-Russia border. This comes in response to the mass amounts of Russian troops and artillery brought near the eastern Ukrainian border beginning in March of this year. According to the BBC, up to 175,000 Russian troops could be involved by January of next year, which experts say is likely the same time an invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces will commence.

According to Reuters, the Kremlin denies claims that they are planning to invade Ukraine, and posited that the West is “gripped by Russophobia.” Of the phone call with Boris Johnson, the Kremlin further shared that NATO’s military presence “is happening against the background of active military ‘expansion’ on the territory of Ukraine… creating a direct threat to the security of Russia.” Downing Street reported that Johnson emphasized the U.K.’s “commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that any destabilizing action would be a strategic mistake that would have significant consequences.”

Currently, NATO alliances have been sending large amounts of military assistance into Ukraine. This assistance includes two U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats, anti-tank Javelin missiles, in addition to two new naval bases that the UK is set to help Ukraine build, the BBC reports. However, both NATO and U.S. president Joe Biden have confirmed that their military support will most likely end there. President Biden has also threatened to impose measures “like none he’s ever seen” if Ukraine is attacked. Yet, given the reports of how soon an invasion could take place, it might be a necessity to begin imposing sanctions immediately. Ukraine has established itself as a sovereign nation outside of Russia’s command and it should be able to act accordingly without fear of invasion or other forms of intimidation from Russia.

After gaining its independence from Russia only 20 years ago, Ukraine has been battling the former controller’s influence non-stop. For many years Ukraine has moved more closely to European institutions such as NATO, which Russia was demandingly against. Additionally, back in 2014, Ukrainians overthrew their Pro-Russian president, which resulted in Russia seizing the southern Crimean peninsula from Ukraine. In short, many experts argue that this invasion has been a long-time coming. It is difficult to say which course this conflict could take within the next two months, but in the best interest of the Ukrainian people, Russia should stand down and respect the sovereignty of the Ukrainian nation.