Russian assurances that they won’t invade Ukraine are being taken “seriously” – but the UK is also looking for “actions” from Moscow to resolve the crisis, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow following “constructive and frank” talks with his Russian counterpart, Mr Wallace said that relations between Russia and Britain are “above zero”.

Following the first meeting between a UK defence minister and Russia’s Sergei Shoigu since 2013, Mr Wallace stressed the need for talks to prevent “miscalculation and escalation”.

He expressed his hope that Thursday’s talks had contributed to a “better atmosphere” between the two sides, but added: “There is still considerable way to go between the two of us”.

“When they say to me they are not going to invade Ukraine we will take that seriously but as I also said we will look at the actions that accompany it,” the defence secretary said.

Mr Wallace also agreed with a US assessment that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen “at any time”, amid the ongoing joint military drills between Russia and Belarus.

“The disposition of the Russian forces that we see – over 100,000 in both Belarus and Ukraine – obviously gives that size of force the ability to do a whole range of actions, including an invasion of a neighbouring country at any time,” he said.

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“We obviously have made it very clear in NATO that an invasion would have tragic consequences and we are here, and I’m here today for example, to seek a way of whatever we can to deescalate that tension.

“I heard clearly from the Russian government that they had no intention of invading Ukraine. And I also heard some of their concerns.”

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