Navy defending our values in Russia dispute, says Boris Johnson

A Royal Navy warship was "sticking up for our values" in an incident with Russian forces in disputed waters around Crimea, Boris Johnson has said.

The prime minister said the UK does not recognise Russia's annexation of Crimea and was pursuing freedom of navigation in international waters.

Mr Johnson denied UK relations with Russia were at an all-time low.

And he refused to be drawn on whether he had personally authorised the HMS Defender voyage.

But the prime minister said it was "wholly appropriate to use international waters" to "take the shortest route between two points and that's what we did".