British Lads Army volunteers eager to take on Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces could be prosecuted under UK terror laws if they go out to fight in Ukraine, Boris Johnson hinted, writes dailymail.co.uk.

Groups of men have gathered outside the Ukrainian embassy in west London to answer Ukraine’s President call to arms for foreign fighters to join his country’s defence against Russia.

Yesterday Foreign Secretary Liz Truss appeared to encourage Britons saying she would “absolutely support” those who wished to sign up to fight as part of the Ukrainian armed forces. But lawyers have warned that Britons who fight in Ukraine could be prosecuted under UK terror laws - much like those who took arms for Kurdish militia forces against ISIS in Syria.

Now the Prime Minister has waded into the debate, warning members of the so-called Lads Army that they could be breaking British law by going over to Ukraine to fight.

Giving a speech in Estonia today, Mr Johnson said: “I can understand why people feel as they do but we have laws in our country about international conflicts and how they should be conducted”.

Asked if, in the wake of Ms Truss’s comments, that the Government was encouraging Britons to fight, he replied: “The UK is not actively doing any such thing”.