Australia and the West’s backing for Ukraine was “fanning hysteria” and could “lead to war” claims Russia’s top diplomat in Canberra, who insisted the massing of more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border was not an act of aggression by Vladimir Putin.

Ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky also failed to rule out cutting off gas supplies to Europe as he accused Western politicians of being “hypnotised by their own propaganda” against Moscow.