Mr Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield) (Con) (Urgent Question): To
ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in
Ukraine. The Minister for Development (Anneliese Dodds) I am
grateful to the right hon. Member for asking this urgent question
on a matter that is so critical. As the House is well aware,
Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine poses a significant threat to
Euro-Atlantic security...Request free
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Mr (Sutton Coldfield)
(Con)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Affairs if he will make a statement
on the situation in Ukraine.
The Minister for Development ()
I am grateful to the right hon. Member for asking this urgent
question on a matter that is so critical. As the House is well
aware, Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine poses a significant
threat to Euro-Atlantic security and has struck at the heart of
the international rules-based system on which our security and
prosperity depend.
UK support for Ukraine in defending itself against Russian
aggression is iron-clad. Ukraine's incursion into the Russian
oblast of Kursk has proven once again what Ukraine is capable of,
but its armed forces remain under considerable pressure on the
frontline, particularly in Donbas, and Russia continues to
bombard Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure with
missiles and drones. The UK will continue to do everything we can
to step up and accelerate our support, to keep the pressure up on
Putin's war machine, and to hold to account those responsible for
Russia's illegal actions.
On the day that the new Government were appointed, the Prime
Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary spoke
to their Ukrainian counterparts to underline our support. Within
48 hours, the Defence Secretary travelled to Odesa, where he
announced a new package of military equipment and pledged to
accelerate the delivery of previously announced military aid.
During the NATO Washington summit, the Prime Minister committed
to providing £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine
until 2030-31, or for as long as needed. Allies also agreed a
significant package of support, and agreed that Ukraine's pathway
to NATO membership was irreversible.
On 18 July, the Prime Minister hosted President Zelensky and
European political community leaders at Blenheim, where 44
European countries and the EU signed a call to action to tackle
Russia's shadow fleet, which is enabling Russia to evade
international sanctions. The Prime Minister and President
Zelensky also agreed a new defence industrial support treaty that
enables Ukraine to draw on £3.5 billion of UK export finance. I
am sure that the House will want to be aware that yesterday, the
UK-Ukraine digital trade agreement entered into force, making
digital trade between our two countries cheaper and easier,
boosting both economies.
In summary, Ukraine remains high on the agenda, including in our
discussions with our international partners. The Prime Minister
discussed Ukraine with Chancellor Scholz and President Macron
last week, and the Defence Secretary will attend a meeting of the
international Ukraine defence contact group on 5 September. We
remain in close discussion with Ukraine on the support that it
needs to prevail.
Mr Mitchell
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting this urgent question, and may
I also thank the Minister for her response?
The whole House condemned, and continues to be appalled by,
Putin's illegal and outrageous attack on a neighbouring foreign
state. We condemn the missile and drone attacks launched by Putin
against Ukraine in recent weeks, which targeted critical
infrastructure ahead of winter and murdered Ukrainian citizens.
Tragically, a missile strike the week before last killed a
British national, Ryan Evans, who was in Ukraine working for
Reuters. He and his friends and family are in our thoughts
today.
Opposition Members welcome the fact that negotiations have been
initiated on contracts under the recently signed defence export
support treaty; that is a positive step. Increasing Britain's
defence production remains a national priority, so that we can
provide more weapons to Ukraine and build up our own stocks. In
government, we made it clear that appointing a defence production
envoy with a direct line to the Prime Minister would be an
effective way of helping us to realise that aim; I would be
grateful if the Minister could update the House on whether the
Government intend to see that plan through. Above all, this
Government must continue, as their predecessor did, to press our
allies to go further, and, by working closely with Germany and
France in particular, as well as with the American Government, to
procure the vital supplies that Ukraine must receive. The
countries supporting Ukraine are able to leverage a collective
GDP and a combined defence budget many times larger than
Russia's. Will the Minister confirm that we are pressing allies
to follow the UK's multi-year funding commitment for military
aid?
Turning to the situation in the Kursk region, we agree with the
Government that under article 51 of the UN charter, Ukraine's
right to self-defence against illegal Russian attacks does not
preclude operations inside Russia. Furthermore, together with our
allies, we must equip Ukraine so that it is not hampered in its
ability to degrade the Russian war effort before it is fully
deployed. It is our intention as His Majesty's Opposition to help
the Government as they in turn take all the necessary decisions
to secure advantage and victory for Ukraine, but in giving that
support, we expect the Government to continue the firm and clear
leadership demonstrated by the last Conservative Government.
First, I share in the condemnation of the appalling Russian
attacks that the right hon. Member mentioned. He talked about the
impact on critical infrastructure and, indeed, on a British
national; the whole House will want to send our condolences to
his family and share in the sorrow—it is such a dreadful
incident. Of course, we have seen other appalling attacks,
including on other forms of civilian infrastructure. As children
are returning to school in many parts of England today, we also
see children return to school in Ukraine, but on Friday a
14-year-old girl was killed in Kharkiv and over the past few days
a children's rehabilitation centre has been attacked through
Russian aggression. We are absolutely determined that we will
continue that rejection of Russian aggression.
The right hon. Member talked in particular about the need to
ensure that we have that provision of armaments. We are seeking
to ensure that we have a national armaments director so that we
have that prioritisation. He also talked about the need to work
with our allies, which, as I mentioned in my statement and will
underline again, the Prime Minister has prioritised; he discussed
it in detail with Olaf Scholz and with President Macron, and
clearly it was critical at the European Political Community
meeting. The agreement that was come to, with that call of action
against the shadow fleet, was incredibly important, and it covers
the EU and many other European countries.
The right hon. Member talked about the need for a multi-year
approach, including from our allies, and we will continue to
advocate for that. That multi-year support is critical for the
UK. We have been clear that we will extend it until 2030-31, or
as long as is required. That is an incredibly important
commitment made by the new UK Government.
The right hon. Member also talked about the actions we have seen
taking place in Kursk. He is right that they were defensive
actions; they would not have taken place had we not seen the
illegal invasion of Ukraine. The language he used to describe
them is therefore completely appropriate. When it comes to
equipping Ukraine in that defensive activity, of course we will
continue—and indeed have intensified—our commitment towards that.
I was pleased to hear his commitment to cross-party working on
that. My party was determined to ensure cross-party working when
in opposition, so I was pleased to hear him affirm that from his
new position on the Opposition Benches. We will ensure that we
prioritise our support for Ukraine in the future, and I hope he
will work with us to do so.
(Islington South and
Finsbury) (Lab)
In anticipation of this urgent question, I asked a constituent
friend of mine who is currently in Kyiv what questions I should
be asking the Foreign Secretary. That friend of mine will be
reassured that we are increasing the amount of armaments and
weapons being sent to Ukraine, because it is in desperate need of
them. Overnight, Kyiv was hit 20 times by missiles, and the
overwhelming question that she wants me to ask is this: what
pressure can the UK Government put on the Americans to allow the
Ukrainians to hit the missile sites in Russia?
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for raising these matters.
Clearly her contact with that constituent has been incredibly
important in understanding the situation on the ground, and I
know that my right hon. Friend has a deep understanding of these
foreign policy matters. The UK is well aware that the US has
committed $105 billion in support for Ukraine. It was announced
at the NATO summit at the beginning of July that Germany,
Romania, the Netherlands and Italy would be working with the US
to provide Ukraine with five strategic air defence systems. We
have very much welcomed sustained bipartisan US support for
Ukraine, which has been key in the international effort, and I
know that the United States will want to continue that support
into the future. Certainly, we in the UK will be doing all we can
to ensure that that remains the case.
Mr Speaker
I call the Lib Dem spokesperson.
(Honiton and Sidmouth)
(LD)
The Foreign Secretary has spoken of his warm relations with the
running mate of Donald Trump, J. D. Vance. That is just as well,
because Vance said previously that he does not really care what
happens to Ukraine one way or another. While Russia's Deputy
Foreign Minister is talking about changes to Russia's doctrine on
the use of nuclear weapons, Vance is joking about how Britain is
somehow the first “Islamist country” with nuclear weapons. Will
the Minister tell the House what efforts the Government are
making to rid Vance and some others in the Republican party of
the idea that the security of Ukraine and the security of Europe
is somehow not important to the security of the United
States?
It is clearly not for us in this House to speculate about
hypothetical scenarios, and decisions about the US election will
of course lie with the American people. I underline to the hon.
Member that the UK and the US have been steadfast allies, working
closely together on foreign policy issues and defence matters for
over a century. That has applied with leaders of all political
stripes in the White House and in Downing Street, and with
Parliament and Congress as well. We welcome and will continue to
welcome sustained bipartisan US support for Ukraine, including
passage of the supplemental funding package, which has been key
to the international effort.
(Widnes and Halewood) (Lab)
I welcome my right hon. Friend's statement. She touched on
stockpiles of armaments and missiles; as she knows, we have had a
long-standing problem in that regard. Will she say more about
what work is being done now to ensure that those stockpiles are
increased and that we can supply more to Ukraine?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that issue. We will
continue to work hard to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to
defend itself in the face of Putin's illegal aggression. As I
mentioned in my statement, the Prime Minister has committed £3
billion a year in military support for Ukraine until 2030-31, or
for as long as is needed. That means that the UK has committed
almost £12.7 billion in military, humanitarian and economic
support for Ukraine since 2022, but I want to be clear that we
are stepping up our military support, including via a new package
announced by the Defence Secretary in Odesa in early July—soon
after the election—which includes more artillery guns, a quarter
of a million ammunition rounds and 90 precision Brimstone
missiles, because, as my hon. Friend mentioned, the stockpile is
indeed important.
Mr Speaker
I call the Father of the House.
Sir (Gainsborough) (Con)
It seems to me that if you are attacked by a demented bear, you
either run away or hit him so hard that he runs away, but the
west's policy on Ukraine appears to be to wound and not win. In
that context, will the Government make an unequivocal public
statement that Ukraine should be allowed to use Storm Shadow and,
more importantly, the US-made army tactical missile system? Then
we might actually win this war.
Specifically on Storm Shadow, there has been no change in the
UK's position. We have been providing military aid to support
Ukraine's clear right of self-defence against Russia's illegal
attacks. That has been in accordance with international
humanitarian law. We are clear that equipment provided by the UK
is intended for the defence of Ukraine.
(Glasgow South) (Lab)
As we have heard, the United States will be going to the polls
later this year and many in the Republican party are
unfortunately expressing scepticism about supporting Ukraine.
Will the Minister encourage our colleagues and allies in the
United States, as support for Ukraine is vital for our own
democracy and security around the world?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for mentioning that important
subject. The UK will continue to work closely with our
international partners to ensure that Ukraine gets the support it
needs to resist Russian aggression. At the NATO summit in
Washington, the Prime Minister announced that the UK-administered
international fund for Ukraine will place a new order worth £300
million for 120,000 rounds of ammunition, bolstering Ukraine's
defences against Russia.
I should also mention that the UK is co-leading a new maritime
capability coalition alongside Norway, which will strengthen
Ukraine's ability to operate at sea, and a major drone capability
coalition with Latvia to scale up the west's provision of
first-person view drones to Ukraine. There is extensive and deep
work with our allies when it comes to supporting the defence of
Ukraine.
Sir (New Forest East) (Con)
Do the Government have a view on why certain far-right
politicians in the United States, Europe and even, dare I say it,
Britain seem to have a soft spot for President Putin's
Russia?
The right hon. Member raises an important question. It is clear
that Russia's activity under President Putin's illegal leadership
has included an attack not only on Ukraine but on democratic
values and international humanitarian law. I am pleased that we
have seen bipartisan support across the House for rejecting that
aggression, and I hope that that will continue.
(Liverpool Walton) (Lab)
I welcome the Minister's words on Ukraine's activities in Kursk,
and I ask her to give the UK Government's fullest possible
support for what is going on there. Last night, Russian missiles
hit Kyiv and other major cities. It is vital that the UK takes
the lead in partnering Ukraine in the defence of democracy and
liberty. What progress are the Government making on completing
the 100-year agreement with Ukraine?
I very much agree with my hon. Friend's comments on the Kursk
offensive. As was mentioned, ultimately it is very much a
defensive operation—we should not forget that Russia has
repeatedly launched attacks on Ukraine from Kursk oblast. I also
agree with his comments about recent aerial attacks from Russia.
When it comes to rejecting those, we could not be clearer:
intentionally directing attacks at civilian objects is a war
crime. Those attacks threaten civilian access to power, heating
and water supply, impacting the safety and livelihoods of
millions of Ukrainians. On the 100-year partnership, we are
committed to ensuring that we cement our partnership with
Ukraine's leadership, which started very early on for the new
Government. There is an important anniversary coming and we are
seeking to mark it with renewed partnership.
Dr (Surrey Heath) (LD)
Russian oligarchs close to Putin have numerous assets under UK
jurisdiction, equating to nearly £23 billion. Will the Minister
commit to acting on a Lib Dem manifesto commitment to begin the
process of seizing currently frozen assets in the UK and
repurposing them in support of the people of Ukraine, building
financial resilience in UK domestic support even if US support
were to waver following the US election in November?
I am grateful to the hon. Member for his question. He is right in
his implication that we need a robust sanctions regime—this
Government are absolutely committed to that. Without sanctions,
we estimate that Russia would have over £400 billion more to fund
its war for another four years. It is important that we continue
with that sanctions regime and do what we can to ensure that it
is impossible to circumvent—I believe that his point was about
that particular issue.
There is an international movement towards ensuring that Russian
sovereign assets are put into play to support people who have
been so appallingly impacted in Ukraine. We are working
intensively with all our allies to pursue lawful ways to ensure
that Russia meets its obligations. Together with our G7 partners
we have agreed to make available approximately $50 billion to
Ukraine by the end of the year by advancing the extraordinary
profits generated by immobilised Russian sovereign assets in the
EU and other relevant jurisdictions. Work is already ongoing on
the issues that the hon. Member mentioned, if I understood his
question correctly.
(East Renfrewshire)
(Lab)
I welcome what the Minister said about efforts to tackle the
Russian shadow fleet. She will also be aware that an estimated
£600 million-worth of refined products of Russian origin have
made their way into our economy. Given her answer a moment ago
about the need for a robust sanctions regime, what more can she
do to crack down on that? The democracy in Kyiv will find it more
difficult to win if we are also funding the dictatorship in
Moscow.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that important point.
Putin's shadow fleet softened the blow of our sanctions regime,
and it poses serious maritime security and environmental risks.
In response, the new Government have already taken decisive
action. Earlier this month we sanctioned 11 Russian ships, and
almost all sanctioned tankers have ceased trading Russian oil. As
I mentioned, at the European Political Community summit, 44
countries and the EU signed the call to action, spearheaded by
the UK, calling out the risks posed by the shadow fleet and
committing to work together to confront those risks. I will not
speculate on future decisions on our sanctions regime, but we
will of course always keep it under review.
Mr (Rayleigh and Wickford)
(Con)
May I follow the excellent point made by the Father of the House,
my right hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough (Sir ), on Storm Shadow? There is no
third country exercising a veto on how Putin uses long-range
missiles, which he uses without compunction even to attack
children's hospitals in Ukraine. Yet the media consistently
report that there is an American veto on the Ukrainian use of
Storm Shadow missiles to attack targets at depth in Russia, even
though that would materially assist the Ukrainian war effort.
Will the Minister, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence
talk with our American allies to get that veto removed? The
Ukrainians are fighting for our freedom too and, two years in,
they can no longer be expected to do it with one hand tied behind
their back.
As I mentioned previously in this important debate, the UK
Government will continue to work with all our allies from all
engaged parties, seeking to ensure that we do all we can to
protect Ukraine's sovereignty and to enable it to exercise its
right of self-defence against Putin's illegal aggression. As I
mentioned, there has been no change in the UK's position on the
matters the right hon. Gentleman specifies. We have been
providing military aid to support Ukraine's clear right of
self-defence against Russia's illegal attacks in accordance with
international humanitarian law, and we are clear that equipment
provided by the UK is intended for the defence of Ukraine.
(Newcastle-under-Lyme)
(Lab)
I welcome the strength and detail of the Minister's statement. My
constituents stand very firmly with the people of Ukraine. Last
night, I met a man called Alex, a Ukrainian who has made his life
in Newcastle-under-Lyme. He has no family left in Ukraine after
the recent death of his brother in Kyiv. That is evidence that
this crisis remains so very serious for so many people.
Notwithstanding the Minister's answer on sanctions and assets,
may I urge her to look at what we can do to redouble our efforts
to use assets seized from Russians here in order to support
Ukrainians in their fight against tyranny, not just in Ukraine
but here in the United Kingdom too?
I very much share my hon. Friend's deep concern about the human
impact of Putin's illegal war on Ukraine. In February 2024, we
heard from President Zelensky that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had
been killed during Russia's full-scale invasion. Very large
numbers of civilians have been killed, too. The Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that over 11,000
civilians have been killed and over 23,000 wounded—as of the
start of August this year. On ensuring that we take action on
assets, this new Government are absolutely committed to doing
everything we can in this area. As I mentioned, the UK sanctioned
over 2,000 individuals and entities. We estimate that, without
sanctions, Russia would have over $400 billion more to fund its
illegal war. Of course we will continue to keep this under review
and work with partners to ensure that our sanctions are as strong
as possible.
(Argyll, Bute and South
Lochaber) (SNP)
The Minister is of course right to say that who will be the next
US President is a matter solely for the American people, but a
Trump presidency would, without doubt, have a significant impact
on the course of the war in Ukraine, and given Trump's cosy
relationship with Putin, I doubt very much that it would be a
positive impact. Can the Minister reassure the House and the
people of Ukraine that this Government are, or soon will be,
speaking to our European allies to ensure that, in terms of
procurement and engagement, Europe will be prepared to plug any
gaps in what Ukraine needs to defend itself should the worst case
become a reality after November?
This Government have engaged repeatedly with our allies on the
need for continued support for Ukraine. That has been the case in
respect of, for example, the European Political Community—the
meetings we had, and the call to action on the shadow fleet that
emerged from them—and it has been the case in respect of all the
engagement we have had with NATO allies, and the Prime Minister's
engagement with Olaf Scholz and President Macron just a few days
ago. That engagement will continue, and it is critically
important for the UK Government. We have also welcomed sustained
bipartisan US support for Ukraine, which has been key to the
international effort. Let me underline what I said earlier. The
UK and the US have been steadfast allies, working together
closely for more than a century. That has applied, regardless of
political stripe, across the institutions in both our countries,
and we are determined that it will continue.
Sir (Harwich and North Essex)
(Con)
I commend the Government for their positive response to the
urgent question, but may I press the Minister on the Storm Shadow
issue? There is really no point in the west arming Ukraine to
shoot down the missiles when it cannot shoot the launch pads.
What discussions are the Government having with our American
counterparts? Will she confirm that a request has been made to
the US Administration? When are we expecting an answer, and if
the answer is no, what will we do?
The UK Government have been crystal clear that we will do
everything we can to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, and
to ensure that it has the equipment it needs to defend its
territory from Russia's illegal invasion. The hon. Gentleman will
understand that we will not comment on operational decision
making.
(East Antrim) (DUP)
Ukrainian refugees in my constituency have welcomed the
continuity of approach to the situation in Ukraine following the
change of Government here. However, the Minister has mentioned a
number of times today that we are giving a long-term arms
commitment to Ukraine. How can she make such a commitment, given
the concerns about the equipment and ammunition available to our
own armed forces, and what steps has she taken to ensure that the
United Kingdom's defence industry is geared up to meet both the
commitments for our own armed forces and those that she is making
to Ukraine?
I am grateful to the right hon. Member for making that critical
point. Such a long-term commitment to ensuring the provision of
defence capacity for our allies and friends is not only important
for those countries—in this case, Ukraine—but extremely important
for our own domestic industrial capacity. It enables us to secure
long-term jobs, long-term contracts, long-term prospects and,
indeed, long-term careers for people in our country who work in
the defence industries.
Sir (Maldon) (Con)
Last week's attack on Ukraine by Russian missiles and drones was
the biggest since the Russian invasion started. Can the Minister
make it crystal clear that Ukraine's right to self-defence must
include the ability to target the origin of those missiles and
drones, including Russian aircraft in Russian airspace and
Russian missile bases?
The right hon. Member is right to condemn the truly appalling
attacks that we saw recently. They provided yet more evidence
that Russia is seeking to terrorise the Ukrainian population into
submission, an approach that we wholly reject and condemn and
that runs contrary to international humanitarian law. The UK will
continue to do everything we can to support Ukraine's resilience
and its defence in this situation. Given the point that he made
on this subject, let me underline what I said earlier: the Kursk
operation was a defensive operation, and we should not forget
that Russia repeatedly launched attacks on Ukraine from Kursk
oblast.
(Cities of London and
Westminster) (Lab/Co-op)
We have heard about the role of Russian assets in this country.
The Minister will be aware of my concerns about asset ownership
in the constituency of Cities of London and Westminster, and how
vital it is for UK economic growth that we can pride ourselves on
having clean and transparent financial markets in the City of
London. Does she agree that securing transparency through trust
ownership is a really important part of ensuring that we can
understand ownership of assets in this country, and that we
cannot wait any longer for enforcement around the transparency of
trusts in order to secure our understanding of the situation?
I am well aware of my hon. Friend's leadership on these issues
and her long-term commitment to ensuring transparency. Of course,
she will understand that the precise rules around financial
instruments are not a matter for the Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office; they are of course a matter for His Majesty's
Treasury. On the broader issue, however, I can say to her that we
are very clear that effective sanctions will require effective
enforcement and implementation. We will continue to strengthen
our work—including with international partners and allies, and
through our role at the UN—to maximise the impact of sanctions,
to close loopholes and to close other channels for circumventing
sanctions.
(Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale
and Tweeddale) (Con)
Does the right hon. Lady recognise the enormous contribution that
the Ukrainian diaspora here in the UK have made to supporting
their countrymen, and not just practically but in relation to
morale? Will she ensure that the Government continue to do
everything they can to support such endeavours?
I am very grateful to the right hon. Member for making that
incredibly important point. Just about every Member of the House
will have had the privilege and honour of meeting Ukrainians who
have moved to their constituency—sadly, not through choice but
through necessity. They have enriched our communities, and they
are indeed supporting those back at home. It really is important
that the Government continue to work with them so that we get an
accurate picture of what is taking place, but also so that we can
ensure that we play our part in supporting Ukraine in its
self-defence against Putin's aggression.
(Smethwick) (Lab)
This House should commend the brave Ukrainian forces for the
undoubted success of their incursion into Russia's Kursk region,
but we can see that they remain under significant stress across
the whole region. What military support have the UK Government
provided to the Ukrainian armed forces since the general
election, and what commitment do we have in place going
forward?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that important
question. I want to be very clear that we are stepping up our
military support, for the reasons that he mentions. That includes
the new package that the Defence Secretary announced in Odesa—I
think it was on his second day in the job. It includes more
artillery guns, a quarter of a million ammunition rounds and 90
precision Brimstone missiles. We are also speeding up that
support: on 7 July the Defence Secretary announced that we would
ensure that the package of military aid that was promised in
April under the previous Government, which includes air defence
missiles, would be delivered in full to Ukraine within the next
100 days.
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
What action are the Government taking with our allies to crack
down on sanction dodging, which is leading to critical components
for military equipment, including drones, getting into
Russia?
This Government are absolutely committed to ensuring that there
is no sanction dodging and that we have an effective sanctions
regime, which is critical to ensuring that Putin's illegal war
does not succeed. Over £20 billion-worth of UK-Russia bilateral
trade is now under full or partial sanction. Imports from Russia
into the UK have fallen by more than 99%, and exports to Russia
have fallen by more than 75%. I previously mentioned that we have
been working to tackle the so-called shadow fleet, and working
with our allies and partners to ensure that we have robust action
in that area, but we will continue to keep the system under
review.
(Beverley and Holderness)
(Con)
I congratulate the Minister on both the tone and the substance of
her response here today, and I see that the Foreign Secretary is
now coming into the Chamber. The President of Ukraine has lauded
the UK for its leadership in arms, politics and support for
Ukrainian society, but can the Minister explain why he said that,
since the election, that support had slowed?
I am grateful to the right hon. Member for his question, but I
have to say that the Prime Minister could not have been clearer
that the UK's support for Ukraine is unwavering. This is a
cross-party commitment coming from the UK. It is absolutely clear
and we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. That
is why the Prime Minister, within his first week in office,
committed to £3 billion a year of support to Ukraine for as long
as it takes. That is a new commitment, and one that we believed
it was important to make, to underline that continued support.
The right hon. Member will remember that, as a further signal of
the strength of the relationship, the Prime Minister called
President Zelensky on his first day in the job and that the
Defence Secretary visited Kyiv just hours later. That commitment
could not be clearer.
Mr (Fylde) (Con)
BAE Systems in my constituency and its workforce across
Lancashire—indeed, including in the Speaker's constituency of
Chorley —have been at the forefront of the armaments supply to
Ukraine. The Typhoon project at the Warton site will start to hit
a lull from next year, when there will be no more assembly of
Typhoons, but we know that countries directly affected by
Russia's aggression across its border wish to place Typhoon
orders in the coming years. There will be a delay in our ability
to critically supply those important aircraft to strategic
partners. Will the Minister commit to working with me and other
MPs from Lancashire and with BAE Systems on how we can fill that
gap in the production and assembly of Typhoon fighter jets, to
make sure that, when our allies and partners need those jets,
they will be available? This will also benefit jobs across
Lancashire and indeed the UK economy through exports.
First, I pay tribute to those British workers who have been
ensuring that that essential matériel is being delivered when it
is so needed. That really does show UK technology at its best. I
am assured that the Defence Secretary would be keen to meet the
hon. Member. He is well aware of these challenges and he would be
interested in having that conversation. Of course, the new UK
Government have been absolutely clear that we are determined to
have a long-term strategy for defence that includes our defence
industries as well.
(Tunbridge Wells) (LD)
As with so many things in international affairs, American support
is indispensable. So it is with support for Ukraine, yet the
election of President Trump et al threatens that. Have the
Government conducted any contingency planning as to how to
continue full support for Ukraine in the event of the potential
election of President Trump?
I am grateful to the Member for his question. I do not want to
repeat word for word what I said previously. He will, I am sure,
understand that the US and the UK have worked together for over
100 years on issues of importance, and that has not varied
despite the party political composition of the leaderships in our
two countries. We will not be speculating about hypothetical
scenarios. Instead, we will be ensuring that we continue to work
with our allies to ensure that the Ukrainian people, who have so
bravely been defending their country, are supported in their
self-defence by the UK.
Mr Speaker
That leaves us with just .
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister very much for her confident answers. They
will encourage us all in this House and indeed our constituents
back home as well, and I thank her for that. As she stated, as
all our children—and in my case, my six grandchildren—make their
way back into their classrooms in safety and security today, our
minds are with those children in Ukraine who are unable to access
an education, a hope or even a future. Can she outline what
discussions have taken place to ensure that those children
remaining in Ukraine have access to their education, to
vocational training and indeed to a future?
I am grateful to the hon. Member for that important point. I
thank him for his kind words and I congratulate him on his six
grandchildren. I am sure I have heard that before, but it is
quite an achievement. [Interruption.] It may not be entirely down
to him, of course.
The hon. Member raises a very sad issue, as we see children being
put in a very difficult position. Appalling numbers of children
have been killed due to Russian aggression, and there is also the
impact on essential children's services, including education and
healthcare. We have not managed to cover this in this urgent
question, but I assure him that, when it comes to humanitarian
support, the UK is absolutely committed to supporting Ukraine. As
he would expect, as Minister for Development, I have been working
very hard on this across a range of services, but particularly
humanitarian matters and energy as we go into the winter.
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