Today I am meeting members of the Ukrainian community in Swindon to discuss action the Government is taking to support Ukraine. I will make sure that their concerns are heard at the highest levels.
The ongoing situation is deeply disturbing, and the UK along with its allies must do everything it can to make sure Russia's oppressive dictator fails. Everything it can, without risking a Nuclear War. Which is the stark reality that the world is currently facing.
How do we do this? Firstly, the Government has put in place the largest package of sanctions in our history which area already proving effective, with £250 billion wiped off the Russian stock market and the rouble plummeting.
In the coming days, major Russian banks will be removed from SWIFT – something the UK Government was a lone voice in pushing for just last week. Now, the UK, US & EU stand united on this.
We will also continue to send Ukraine military equipment. We were one of the first countries in the world to start doing this back in January and this support has allowed helped to provide a resistance that Russia did not expect. For years, the UK has worked to support Ukraine's security and defence. We have trained over 22,000 members of the Ukrainian army and assisted Ukraine to build up and sustain a naval capability.
Much has been said over the last week about implementing a no-fly zone over Ukraine – unfortunately, this is not a realistic prospect with all Western leaders ruling it out. Why? Quite simply, it would mean a World War with the potential to be a nuclear war. This is why heads of state, military leaders, intelligence chiefs, war studies experts, senior diplomats, historians are all warning against this escalation.
Another priority is getting humanitarian support to Ukraine and help those fleeing the conflict.
The UK is providing up to £140 million in emergency & humanitarian aid, including necessities & medical supplies. More than 1,000 British troops have been made ready to support NATO and allies, these troops are at readiness in the UK to support a humanitarian response in the region should it be needed.
We are also focusing support at our Visa Application Centre in Lviv well as centres in neighbouring countries including Poland. British nationals and any person settled in the UK can bring over Ukrainian family members- not just immediate dependants.
The Humanitarian Sponsorship Pathway has also been created as a route to the UK for Ukrainians who don't have family in the UK. Those who come within the scheme will also be granted leave for an initial twelve months and they will be able to work and access public services. There will be no numerical limit on the scheme, and we will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come here.
I know that some have been saying we need to waiver visas completely, but again these situations are not as black & white as people may think. Our intelligence shows there are very serious security implications if this happens - Russian forces are in the region and are looking to covertly infiltrate those groups fleeing Ukraine - Putin’s willingness to do violence on British soil, means we cannot suspend security or biometric checks. We will though work to process Ukrainians coming here as quickly as possible.
