Ukraine The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Affairs (James Cleverly) With permission, Mr Speaker, I
will update the House on the situation in Ukraine. This morning,
Russian missiles again struck Kyiv and other cities, destroying
critical national infrastructure and depriving Ukrainians of water
and electricity. Earlier today I spoke to our ambassador in Kyiv,
and I heard again of the extraordinary resilience of Ukraine’s
people in the...Request free trial
Ukraine
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Affairs ()
With permission, Mr Speaker, I will update the House on the
situation in Ukraine.
This morning, Russian missiles again struck Kyiv and other
cities, destroying critical national infrastructure and depriving
Ukrainians of water and electricity. Earlier today I spoke to our
ambassador in Kyiv, and I heard again of the extraordinary
resilience of Ukraine’s people in the face of Russian
aggression.
At the weekend, Russia suspended its participation in the Black
sea grain initiative, which has allowed the exportation of
100,000 tonnes of food every day, including to some of the least
developed countries in the world. Putin is exacting vengeance for
his military failures on the civilians of Ukraine by cutting off
their power and water supply, and on the poorest people in the
world by threatening their food supplies. Over 60% of the wheat
exported under the Black sea grain initiative has gone to low and
middle-income countries, including Ethiopia, Yemen and
Afghanistan. It would be unconscionable for those lands to be
made to suffer because of Putin’s setbacks on the battlefield in
Ukraine. I urge Russia to stop impeding this vital initiative,
which is helping to feed the hungry across the world, and to
agree to its extension.
Meanwhile, Russia’s suicide drones and cruise missiles are
killing Ukrainian civilians, obliterating their homes and even
destroying a children’s playground. A third of the country’s
power stations were put out of operation in a single week. None
of this achieves any military purpose. Putin’s only aim is to
spread terror and to deprive Ukrainian families of shelter, light
and heat as harsh winter approaches. I am sure the House will
join me in condemning his breaches of international humanitarian
law.
I am also sure that every right hon. and hon. Member will share
my conviction that Putin will never break the spirit of the
Ukrainian people, and my incredulity at the glaring
contradictions in his thinking. He claims that Ukraine is part of
Russia and that Ukrainians are Russians, but at the same time he
calls them Nazis who must be bombed without mercy.
When Putin launched his invasion, he convinced himself that
Russian forces would be welcomed into Kyiv and that Ukrainians
would support him or be too craven to stand in his way. He could
not have been more wrong. The last eight months have shown the
scale of his miscalculation and the barbarity of his onslaught,
including the mass rape committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
The UK’s campaign to prevent sexual violence in conflict is more
urgent now than ever and I will host a conference on that vital
subject next month. The Kremlin is now resorting to peddling
false claims and churning out invented stories that say more
about the fractures within the Russian Government than they do
about us.
It is reprehensible that Iran should have supplied Russia with
the Shahed drones that are bringing destruction to Ukraine, in
violation of UN resolution 2231. On 20 October, the Government
imposed sanctions on three Iranian commanders involved in
supplying weaponry to Russia, along with the company that
manufactures Shahed drones.
Earlier, on 30 September, Putin announced that Russia had annexed
four regions of Ukraine spanning 40,000 square miles—the biggest
land grab in Europe since the second world war. Once again, this
exposes his self-delusion. He has declared the annexation of
territory that he has not captured, and what he had managed to
seize he is in the process of losing.
On 12 October, 143 countries—three quarters of the entire
membership of the United Nations—voted in the General Assembly to
condemn the annexations. Russia had just four supporters: Syria,
Belarus, Nicaragua and North Korea. When those regimes are a
country’s only friends, they really know that they are isolated.
When 141 countries denounced Putin’s invasion in March, some
speculated that that was the ceiling of international support for
Ukraine. The latest vote showed that even more nations are now
ready to condemn Russia, but Putin still thinks that by forcing
up food and energy prices, we will lose our resolve. Our task is
to prove him wrong.
We will not waver in our support for Ukraine’s right to
self-defence. I delivered that emphatic message when I spoke to
my Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday, and my right hon. Friend the
Prime Minister said the same to President Zelensky when they
spoke on the phone—the first foreign leader who he called on his
appointment as Prime Minister. On Thursday I will attend a
meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers in Germany, where I will send a
unified signal of our shared determination. This year, Britain
gave Ukraine £2.3 billion of military support—more than any
country in the world apart from the United States of America. We
will provide Ukraine with more support to repair its energy
infrastructure and we have committed £220 million of humanitarian
aid.
The House will have noted Putin’s irresponsible talk about
nuclear weapons and an absurd claim that Ukraine plans to
detonate a radiological dirty bomb on its own territory. No other
country is talking about nuclear use; no country is threatening
Russia or President Putin. He should be clear that, for the UK
and our allies, any use at all of nuclear weapons would
fundamentally change the nature of this conflict. There would be
severe consequences for Russia. How counterproductive would it be
for Russia to break a norm against nuclear use that has held
since 1945 and has underpinned global security?
Nothing will alter our conviction that the Ukrainians have a
right to live in peace and freedom in their own lands. If Putin
were to succeed, every expansionist tyrant would be emboldened to
do their worst and no country would be safe. That is why we
stand, and will continue to stand, alongside our Ukrainian
friends until the day comes—as it inevitably will—that they
prevail. I commend this statement to the House.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Foreign Secretary.
4.20pm
(Tottenham) (Lab)
The war in Ukraine is at a critical new stage, with increasing
missile and drone attacks, and the senseless withdrawal from the
grain export deal, which will lead to increasing hunger around
the world. As we enter the winter months, Putin’s rhetoric is
becoming increasing irresponsible, including his references to
nuclear weapons and dangerous fabrications around a so-called
dirty bomb, and I support the Foreign Secretary’s words on that
matter. This is a sign of Putin’s desperation, but it does not
mean that an end is near; this will be a long and protracted
conflict.
This morning, more than 50 missiles were launched by Russian
forces against Ukrainian energy and water systems over the course
of just a few hours. This is not an isolated attack, but a
deliberate and callous Russian strategy to target civilian
infrastructure ahead of the winter. Some estimates claim almost a
third of Ukraine’s power stations and other energy facilities
have been hit, and 80% of Kyiv has been left without water after
these latest attacks. The Foreign Secretary mentioned his
discussions with our ambassador on the ground, and I am sure that
the whole House is grateful to the embassy team for their
continuing work in very challenging conditions.
Can the Foreign Secretary set out today how many electricity
generators the UK has already sent to Ukraine, and how we will
strengthen Ukraine’s energy supply at this time? Some of these
attacks have been conducted using Iranian-supplied drones. We
welcome the sanctions already announced against the Iranian
regime. What further measures are the Government considering to
prevent Iran’s material support to Russia’s invasion? Over the
past week, we have also seen Russia engage in baseless,
ridiculous accusations that the United Kingdom was involved in
the destruction of part of the Nord Stream pipeline. What are the
Government doing to tackle the dangerous disinformation being
spread by Putin?
The UN-backed agreement on grain exports has been vital in
reducing global food prices. President Putin’s unjustifiable
decision to pull out of this deal will have catastrophic
consequences. It comes at a time when many countries are already
food-insecure, including Somalia, where an imminent famine is
feared. This decision should be seen by the world for what it is:
the Kremlin’s cruel and transparent use of hunger to blackmail.
Any spike in world food prices will be the responsibility of the
Russian Government. An agreement must be restored. Can the
Foreign Secretary outline what conversations he has had with
counterparts, including in Turkey, on the potential for restoring
grain flows, and what steps the UK is considering to mitigate the
worst consequences for the developing world if those efforts
fail?
Since the end of August, Ukraine has been conducting successful
counter-offensive operations in the south and east of Ukraine,
liberating around 12,000 sq km, but Russia continues to attempt
to make progress in Donbas around Bakhmut. Winter is coming, any
counter-offensives could soon slow and an operational stalemate
is likely for the next couple of months. It is day 249 of the
invasion, and the Ministry of Defence has not even signed a
contract to replenish the NLAW anti-tank missiles, which have
been vital to the Ukrainian army. Will the Government restock and
resupply Ukraine, and the British armed forces, with essential
military assistance? Over 20 NATO countries have now rebooted
defence plans since the invasion began, but the UK Government
have still not done so. Will the Foreign Secretary update the
integrated review of foreign and defence policy, and will he
continue with what was indicated by the last Prime Minister now
that we are on our third in just three months?
Last month at the United Nations more countries than ever voted
to condemn Russia in its illegal and unjustifiable annexations of
Ukrainian territory. The world saw through the sham referendums
and recognised Russia’s actions as a flagrant violation of the UN
charter. We must sustain and grow the diplomatic coalition
against Putin, because the outcome of this war will depend on who
is more resilient: Putin’s Russia, or Ukraine and its supporters
in the west and beyond. Labour is clear that we will not let our
support for Ukraine falter.
Our duty now is to make sure Ukraine wins; this means providing
the diplomatic and military support required but also moving
beyond ad hoc announcements and laying out a long-term strategy
for military, economic and diplomatic assistance through 2023 and
beyond. We have to reinforce the message to Putin that continuing
this barbaric war will make it worse, not better, for Russia.
I thank the right hon. Gentleman, my opposite number, for the
points that he has made, and for echoing from the Opposition
Front Bench the support for the Ukrainian people in their work to
eject Russia from their homeland. It is noticed that although we
sometimes disagree on the detail, our collective response is to
support the Ukrainian people; that will be noted, and they will
be incredibly grateful for it. He raised a number of points,
which I will attempt to cover in my response.
On the energy needs of the Ukrainian people going into the
winter, the UK has pledged £100 million to support Ukraine’s
energy security and to reform, and £74 million in fiscal grants
to support Ukraine through the World Bank. I will seek to get
more details on the right hon. Gentleman’s specific question
about the number of generators and share them with him at an
appropriate point in the future.
On Iran, the right hon. Gentleman noted that we have already
sanctioned a number of people—a point I made in my statement. He
will know that we do not discuss future sanctions designations,
but I can assure him that we will be keeping a close eye on the
actions of Iran, and indeed any other countries, in providing
arms for Russia, and we will take appropriate actions to dissuade
them from doing so and to react if they do.
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to highlight the
situation with regard to disinformation. Increasingly desperate
statements have been coming out of the Russian Ministry of
Defence and the Kremlin. Those claims are designed to distract
the Russian people, and indeed the wider international community,
from the truth, and the truth is that the Ukrainians are pushing
Russian forces back on the battlefield. We must not be distracted
from that truth, and the right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right
that we must work with our international allies to make sure
Russia’s disinformation campaign does not influence global
support for the Ukrainian people.
The right hon. Gentleman also mentioned grain exports, and I have
spoken with my Turkish counterparts in the past expressing our
gratitude for the work they have done in securing that grain
export deal. We have also reinforced the need for that to be
extended and for Russia to lift the pause on its engagement on
that. This is about ensuring that the global poor—those who are
already suffering from hunger—are not drawn into a conflict not
of their choosing. We must not let Vladimir Putin use global
hunger as leverage to undermine support for the Ukrainians in the
defence of their homelands.
The right hon. Gentleman asked about the supply of anti-tank
missile systems. We are committed to matching our support next
year, as we have done for this year. We will ensure the
Ukrainians are supplied with the arms most relevant to their
needs at the time. In the initial phases of the conflict, NLAWs
and other anti-tank missile systems were incredibly important to
them. The battlefield has now evolved, and ground-to-air and air-
to-air missile systems have increased in importance. We will make
sure our support for Ukraine matches its needs, but we will also
ensure that we do not denude our own armed forces of
requirements, and action has been taken to stimulate the supply
chain for critical and military equipment. We will always ensure
that we adapt to the circumstances on the ground and on the
battlefield and that we do not denude ourselves of our ability to
defend this country as well as our friends and allies.
Mr Speaker
We come to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
(Rutland and Melton)
(Con)
Over the next month, war on the ground will be most difficult for
Putin to wage, so he is weaponising famine, information, sexual
violence and even Ukraine’s children. What conversations is my
right hon. Friend having with abstentionist countries who are
most likely to suffer from famine in order that they encourage
Russia to return to the Black sea grain deal?
On the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, which is a form of
genocide, no meaningful international action appears to be taking
place. Will my right hon. Friend reassure us on that front?
Finally, Bellingcat has identified 33 individuals whose sole job
is to target civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Will he reassure
us that sanctions are being considered against those individuals
whose sole job is to terrorise the Ukrainian public?
I thank my hon. Friend for those points. She is absolutely right
that it is important that we engage with those countries who have
thus far abstained in votes at the United Nations, to remind them
that Russia’s attack on Ukraine—the invasion of Ukraine—is not
just a European issue. It is about the UN charter, territorial
integrity and the rule of law, and any and all countries who
value those things should show solidarity in their condemnation
of Russia’s involvement.
My hon. Friend asked about individuals who may be involved in the
targeting of civilian infrastructure. She will understand that,
of course, we do not discuss intelligence matters and we do not
go into detail about future sanctions designations. However, I
assure her that we think and act carefully in terms of our
response to deter as well as to respond to the issues that she
raised. We will of course keep a very close eye on the actions of
Russia where it is targeting civilians and civilian
infrastructure as well as critical national infrastructure. That
will always be an important part of the work that we do.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
Ms Anum Qaisar (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
The renewed cruise missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and
civilian infrastructure this morning were appalling, but,
tragically, they are now part of Putin’s almost daily arsenal. By
attacking residential areas, electricity infrastructure and water
supplies, Putin is ordering his troops to carry out war crimes on
a daily basis. As an international community, we cannot allow
that to happen. Will the Foreign Secretary give the House details
about what is being done to assist diplomats on the ground in
Ukraine—including UK diplomats—to document war crimes and crimes
against humanity committed by the Russian military so that those
incidents can be escalated to the International Criminal
Court?
As the war morphs into a protracted conflict, there is an
increasing danger of Ukraine fatigue creeping into the UK public.
Statistics published recently show that amid hiked UK energy
prices, the UK public’s support for continuing economic sanctions
against Russia has fallen from 73% in March to 41% this month.
What are the UK Government doing to militate against Ukraine
fatigue? Will they commit to a public campaign to remind the
electorate why we are supporting Ukraine and what they can
continue doing to help?
Food security is also of grave concern. Twelve grain export ships
have left Ukraine today, despite Russia pulling out of the Turkey
and UN-brokered grain deal. The need for reliable grain supplies
is acute, particularly in regions such as the horn of Africa.
Russia, as the aggressor in the war, has already made itself an
international pariah, and it cannot continue to do so by actively
restricting food supplies to famine and drought-affected regions
of the world. Will the Foreign Secretary therefore outline the
steps that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is
taking alongside international allies to get Russian officials
back into talks for the deal? Will he confirm whether UK
officials are assisting their Turkish counterparts in their
efforts to secure the grain deal?
Finally, will the Foreign Secretary update the House on sanctions
on Iran, given that it has supplied drones to Russia that have
targeted civilians in Ukraine? He rightly said to the shadow
Foreign Secretary that he would not give detail, but will he
commit to giving regular updates to the House?
The hon. Lady raises a number of very important points. On Iran,
I can assure her that we constantly review our sanctions
designations. We will ensure that we respond to any further
breaches of the UN Security Council resolution on supplying arms
to the conflict.
The hon. Lady makes an incredibly important point about the
documentation of war crimes. I had meetings with Karim Khan, the
chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, with regard
to the documentation of war crimes to ensure that perpetrators
know they will be held to account for the actions they have
taken.
We recognise that this winter will be tough for people in the
UK—our energy support package is designed to alleviate some of
the pressure, but we recognise that it will be tough. However, I
think the British people instinctively understand that if we slip
back from our support of the Ukrainians in this incredibly
difficult time, globally, the costs in lives, in food supplies,
in energy supplies and to families in the UK will be huge. As
difficult as it is—and I recognise it is difficult for everyone
at this time—it is essential that we continue our support for
Ukraine, because the costs of inaction will be so much
higher.
(Chelmsford) (Con)
Tens of thousands of people have been affected by this war
directly and thousands of innocent Ukrainian civilians have lost
their lives. It is absolutely right that the UK remains steadfast
and unwavering in its support for the people of Ukraine. We will
be with them for as long as they need us. Globally, as my right
hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said, many millions of the
world’s most vulnerable have been pushed deeper into hunger,
starvation and even famine by Putin’s war on food. I was very
pleased to hear my right hon. Friend remind us of the fact that
the majority of the grain that has come out of the Black sea has
gone to low and middle-income countries, because Russian
misinformation is trying to tell the world the opposite. May I
urge my right hon. Friend and his team of excellent Ministers to
use all diplomatic tools to try to get the Black sea grain
initiative not only back up and running but extended, and to
continue to call out Russian misinformation on that point?
I put on record my thanks to my right hon. Friend for the work
she did in her time at the FCDO and for the huge energy she
brought to the role. She is absolutely right that we are
witnessing the perverse situation where Vladimir Putin is trying
to impose even greater hunger on people who are already suffering
food insecurity and, in some instances, famine. It is absolutely
wrong that he does so, and we call on Russia to resume the Black
sea grain deal and to extend it. It is deeply, deeply wrong that
the world’s poor are forced to suffer even more because Russia
has been and is being unsuccessful on the battlefield. I assure
her that we will continue to work with Turkey and others to get
the deal back in place.
(Rhondda) (Lab)
One of the most depressing, upsetting things that I have seen in
the past few days is Russian conscripts in floods of tears,
saying, “I don’t want to be cannon fodder; I’m just going to be
cannon fodder.” This is a crime against the Russian people as
well. I want to ask about the sanctions regime in the UK, because
it seems a bit of an own goal and counterproductive if
significant people who are being sanctioned by the UK are allowed
to have £60,000 a month and £1.5 million to spend on luxurious
lifestyles here. And will the Foreign Secretary update us on what
has happened to the £3.5 billion from Abramovich’s sale of
Chelsea, which was meant to have gone to the reconstruction of
Ukraine by now?
I assure the hon. Gentleman that we will continue to work with
our international counterparts to make sure that our sanctions
are as effective as they can be and to continue to put pressure
on the people who are funding Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war
in Ukraine. I will seek to get further details on the specific
points that he raised on sanctions. He is absolutely right that,
in addition to the terrible suffering that Ukrainians are
experiencing because of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Russians are
also suffering. Mothers who thought that their sons were going to
a training exercise have now found out that those soldiers have
been killed on the battlefield. Putin has blood on his
hands—Ukrainian blood, Russian blood. It is down to him and
almost no one else.
(New Forest East) (Con)
Given the emphasis that Putin is putting on attacking
infrastructure, and without in any way asking the Foreign
Secretary to be specific, will he reassure the House that our
armed forces are paying enough attention to protecting undersea
pipelines and internet cables? Between now and the autumn
statement, will he have a quiet word with the Prime Minister and
the Chancellor to say that now is not the right time to be rowing
back from a long overdue promise to increase expenditure on
defence?
My right hon. Friend tempts me to go beyond my brief at the
Dispatch Box. All I can say is that I always listen to his advice
carefully, and I have no doubt that the Secretary of State for
Defence, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor will all have
listened carefully to the points that he put forward.
(Rochdale) (Lab)
The Foreign Secretary is right to make the point about protecting
the infrastructure in Ukraine, because we know that, at the
moment, the campaign is about weakening the morale of the
Ukrainian people. In that context, is he satisfied that there is
the international co-ordination to ensure that British efforts
and the efforts of other international partners deliver the
support that Ukraine needs?
The hon. Gentleman makes a very important point. Vladimir Putin
clearly went into this conflict believing that the pressure that
he asserted on Ukraine would create fragmentation in the
Ukrainian political system—it did not. He was expecting that it
would create tension in NATO—it did not. He thought that it would
split up the EU—it did not. He thought that it would break up the
G7—it did not. On every single strategic aim, he has failed.
Indeed, he is now looking at a stronger and larger NATO because
of his actions. I assure the hon. Gentleman that the
international community, if anything, has been brought closer
together through our co-ordinated response to Russian’s invasion
of Ukraine and our support to the Ukrainians.
Sir (Maldon) (Con)
Will my right hon. Friend make it clear that if, indeed, any
attack did take place on the Russian Black sea fleet, the UK had
absolutely no involvement in it? Will he confirm that despite the
withdrawal of Russia from the agreement, ships bearing grain have
nevertheless left Odesa today, and will he say whether he expects
that to continue?
My right hon. Friend makes an important point about the Black sea
grain deal, which is helping to feed people who need
international support now more than ever. The claims of the
Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defence are becoming
increasingly detached from reality; as I have said, they are
designed to distract the Russian people from the reality of
Russian failures on the battlefield. We will continue to shine a
light on those failures, and we will continue to support Ukraine
in defending itself against that aggression.
(Leeds Central) (Lab)
In the announcement that it was pulling out of the deal, Russia
said that it would be “risky” for Ukraine to continue to export
grain via the Black sea. The only possible risk to ships comes
from Russia itself. Further to the question that the right hon.
Member for Maldon (Sir ) asked, if ships are
moving out of Odesa, and with reports that the United Nations,
Turkey and Ukraine have reached some agreement about ships
currently in Turkish waters, does the Foreign Secretary think
that there is any prospect that President Putin’s bluff will be
called, that the ships will continue to be inspected by other
parties to the agreement and that they can carry on helping to
feed the world?
The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point about where the
only credible threat to international shipping would come from.
If grain ships were attacked or the export of grain were
prevented, the world would see who was ultimately responsible for
imposing even more hunger on the world, on people in the global
south and on people who are already suffering because of food
insecurity and famine. The world would see who was truly to blame
for imposing greater hardship on people who are already
suffering.
(Bournemouth East) (Con)
I absolutely endorse the support that Ministers are giving to
Ukraine, but we have entered a darker chapter: as Putin is up
against the wall, he is resorting to non-conventional means.
Bearing in mind the escalatory ladder, I suggest that our support
therefore needs to move from the battlefield to Ukraine’s
infrastructure. Odesa is a critical port and the grain ships are
not getting out at the scale necessary to feed the world. I
suggest that the Foreign Secretary go to the United Nations
General Assembly and secure a resolution to create a safe haven
around the port, so that Britain can lead the international
community in a maritime flotilla to support the grain ships
departing from and entering the port.
My right hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point about
the significance of grain exports from the Black sea, and I have
listened to his proposal. Russia needs to immediately reverse its
pause on its involvement in Black sea exports. We will look at
any options that increase the flow of food to the global south
and to the people who need that food more than ever. I take my
right hon. Friend’s suggestion seriously. Ultimately, we want to
do whatever we can to increase grain exports immediately.
(Belfast East) (DUP)
I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement. I recognise the
answers that he has already given about sanctions on the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps; I encourage him to recognise that
there will be support across the House should he deem it fit to
take further action, as I would encourage him to.
It is encouraging to hear that the United Nations is standing by
ship movements today, but will he elaborate from a diplomatic
perspective on the avenues available through the United Nations
to increase international support, bearing in mind the veto that
Russia continues to have in the P5?
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about the in-built
limitations of the United Nations because of Russia’s abuse of
its veto. Across the world, 143 countries have voted in
condemnation of annexation and 141 have voted in condemnation of
the attack. We know that the United Nations is still an
incredibly important institution, but Russia’s veto limits to
some extent what it can do. We will continue to work with the UN
and with Turkey and others to maximise the grain exports through
the Black sea so that we can alleviate the hunger felt by the
global south.
(Bracknell) (Con)
I am sure that everyone in the House today will share my horror
and revulsion at the continual targeting by Russia of
non-combatants, and also the lobbing of missiles into civilian
areas. Noting the limitations indirectly posed by article 5, can
the Foreign Secretary tell us whether any consideration has been
given to the deployment of an Iron Dome or Patriot-type system to
protect the Ukrainians?
The UK and our international allies have provided Ukraine with
both ground-to-air and air-to-air defence systems. We will
continue to assess its defence needs and adjust our support
accordingly.
(Swansea West)
(Lab/Co-op)
At the Council of Europe, of which I am a member, President
Zelensky suggested that Ukraine had only about 10% of the air
defences that it needed to respond to the current onslaught. Much
of that onslaught comes from Iranian drones. Given that Iran is
in a condition of social unrest, what efforts are the UK
Government making to ensure that people in Iran know that the
focus of their Government is to send weapons of mass destruction
to be used against innocent people—rather than feeding them bread
and giving them human rights—so that we can choke off, over time,
the supply of these deadly weapons?
The hon. Gentleman has made a good point. We will continue to
take action to discourage the supply to Russia of weapons that
might be used in Ukraine, and we will keep under constant review
our sanctions packages to choke off the supply of weapons such as
drones.
(Aldridge-Brownhills)
(Con)
My right hon. Friend has explained what he is doing to urge
allies and other countries to provide extra support for Ukraine,
but can he now tell us what more we can do in respect of the
training of those brave Ukrainians who are fighting in their
homeland, perhaps working with our NATO allies?
I am proud to have been joined on the Front Bench by the Minister
for the Armed Forces and Veterans, my right hon. and gallant
Friend the Member for Wells (). I am incredibly proud of
the work that the British armed forces have done in training
members of the Ukrainian armed forces, and we are being joined by
an increasingly large number of international allies who are
doing likewise. I think it is being demonstrated on the
battlefield that what has been decisive is not just the equipment
we have supplied or the inherent resolve of the Ukrainian forces,
but the technical improvement that our training of those forces
has helped to bring about, and I have no doubt that that will
continue.
(Oxford West and Abingdon)
(LD)
I thank the Foreign Secretary for his words. I particularly
agreed with his statement that we would not allow Putin to use
hunger as global leverage, because doing so is barbaric and
condemns to death thousands more than he has already killed.
Given that backdrop, does the Foreign Secretary share my concern
that we are now spending only 0.3% of gross national income on
aid across the world? We found that out over the weekend. All of
us here have campaigned on manifestos specifying 0.7%. Surely the
answer now is for us to step up again and ensure that what Putin
wants to do cannot be done, because we will be there to ensure
that his barbaric act will not have the effect for which he
hopes.
I do not agree with the figures that the hon. Lady has used, but
the broader fact is that we continue to support countries in the
global south and poor countries around the world—directly, but
also by ensuring that grain exports continue; we are helping
Ukraine through the Black sea grain initiative—and I can assure
her and the House that we will continue to do both. It is
important that we re-establish the principle that powerful
neighbours cannot invade another country with impunity, and that
territorial integrity must be preserved. It is the very people in
other parts of the world to whom the hon. Lady referred who will
suffer if the message is sent to potential aggressors that we
will stand idly by and watch them brutalise their neighbours. We
will never do that.
Several hon. Members rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
Order. Before we proceed, let me point out that a great many
Members still wish to participate in this session, and we have
already been under way for 42 minutes. There is plenty of other
business that the House has to transact during the rest of today,
so may I make a plea for short questions, which will then allow
the Foreign Secretary to give short answers?
(Henley) (Con)
Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating President
Zelensky on engaging directly with parliamentarians such as
myself at the Council of Europe, where he spoke openly about his
needs? It was in answer to a question of mine that he said he had
only 10% of what he needed for missile defence systems.
I congratulate President Zelensky on his engagement with
partners, both bilaterally and multilaterally, and I would like
to put on record my thanks for the work that my hon. Friend the
Member for Henley () does to ensure that these
issues are brought to people’s attention and for the huge amount
of effort he puts into the UK’s position on the Council of
Europe.
(Wirral South) (Lab)
The Foreign Secretary’s statement mentioned Syria as one of the
countries at the United Nations that had given Russia comfort,
but it is not Syrian civilians who have taken that stance. In
fact, they are the very people who know, equally to anyone in the
world, about Putin’s violence. What is the Foreign Secretary
doing at the United Nations or elsewhere to widen the consensus
that all civilians in our world deserve protection from Putin’s
violence, including Syrian civilians?
The hon. Lady makes an incredibly important point. We have seen
the leadership in Russia and Putin bringing pain and harm on
Russian people, and we have seen Assad bringing pain and harm on
Syrian people. We know that this is not being done in their name
or with their say-so, and she is right to say that civilians
around the world are suffering because of the poor decisions of
their brutal leadership, both in Moscow and in Syria.
(South Dorset) (Con)
I welcome my right hon. Friend to his place; I am delighted to
see that he is still there.
I understand that we hear an awful lot about what we and the
Americans are giving in direct help to the Ukrainians, but can he
clarify to the House the exact scale of what other NATO countries
such as Germany and France are giving to Ukraine?
Time prevents me from going into the level of detail that my hon.
Friend has asked for, but I can reassure the House that, while
the UK is second only to the United States of America in giving
direct military support, other countries around the world and
around Europe are very much providing support to Ukraine and have
responded with alacrity to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both
through NATO and through institutions including the G7, we have
become closer as allies, and I am sure that we will continue to
stand in solidarity in our support for the Ukrainians in the
defence of their homeland.
(Bedford) (Lab)
My constituent Georgii and many of the refugees supported by the
Homes for Ukraine scheme arrived in the UK with their Ukrainian
cars and hope to return home as soon as it is safe to do so. Will
the Foreign Secretary speak to his colleagues in the Department
for Transport about urgently dropping or extending the
requirement to exchange Ukrainian number plates for UK plates
beyond the current six-month period, which is causing unnecessary
stress for those affected?
I will take note of the point the hon. Gentleman has made, as I
am sure my colleagues in the Department for Transport will also
have done.
(South West Bedfordshire)
(Con)
Will the Foreign Secretary impose sanctions on Ivan Ryabov, a
Russian security official who was shown to have abused Russian
females protesting against Ukraine? Would this not show that our
sanctions can reach even junior Russians who abuse Russian
protesters like that?
I am sure that my hon. Friend will be unsurprised to hear that we
do not discuss future sanctions designations, but the House and
my Department will have heard the name he has mentioned and the
circumstances in which that sanction might be considered.
(North Durham) (Lab)
I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement. He mentioned the
NLAW—the next-generation light anti-tank weapon—which has been
tremendously effective in Ukraine. However, it is also a fact
that we have not yet put in a contract for its renewal not only
in the stocks of the UK Army but for any future use in Ukraine.
Why is that, and when will the contract be signed?
My understanding is that we have given letters of comfort to the
NLAW supply chain to stimulate future production. We will, of
course, always take action to ensure not only that we are able to
support Ukraine in the defence of its homeland but that we do so
without detriment to our ability to defend ourselves.
(Bosworth) (Con)
UN estimates suggest that the Black sea grain initiative has
indirectly saved 100 million people from falling into extreme
poverty. When my right hon. Friend goes to the G7 meeting on
Thursday, will he raise this topic to see how we can support our
key partner, Turkey, in trying to make sure Russia reverses its
suspension of this deal?
I regularly speak to my Turkish counterpart on this issue and
others. Turkey is very committed to ensuring that the grain
exports continue, and I will continue discussing with Turkey how
we can ensure that they continue beyond the lifetime of this
agreement.
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
Russian missile strikes in Kyiv have reportedly left much of the
city without water. What more will the Government do, through
both expertise and funding, to ensure that Ukrainians have access
to clean water?
The hon. Lady makes an incredibly important point about the
ability to repair infrastructure. I spoke to His Majesty’s
ambassador to Kyiv this afternoon about the remarkable speed with
which Ukrainian municipal workers are repairing that
infrastructure.
The right hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy) asked about
humanitarian assistance, and it will include 856 portable
generators to support power for essential public services in
Ukraine.
(Witney) (Con)
I pay tribute to the extraordinary achievements of the Ukrainian
air force in the current circumstances. Can the Foreign Secretary
assure me that he will consider what support we can give so that
the aerial dimension is not forgotten?
I can assure my hon. Friend that we will consider that. I am very
proud that we have supplied a number of AMRAAM missiles
specifically to help the Ukrainians defend themselves against
attack from the air. We will keep that under constant review.
(Tiverton and Honiton)
(LD)
In a statement issued in March, the Government said they had
created an electricity network support taskforce for Ukraine,
bringing together UK commercial suppliers and the Energy Networks
Association. The then Foreign Secretary, the right hon. Member
for South West Norfolk (), said:
“We will keep the lights on in Ukraine.”
I thank the Foreign Secretary for mentioning the 856 mobile
generators, but will he update the House on the role of the
electricity network support taskforce in honouring the former
Foreign Secretary’s pledge?
We continue to work with the Ukrainians to help them keep the
lights on and the water going, not just in the here and now but
into the future. This will help their energy resilience. We will
ensure that our support to Ukraine adapts to account for its
changing needs and circumstances.
(The Wrekin) (Con)
Should not Putin’s weaponisation of food be a wake-up call to
those African countries, many of them Commonwealth countries,
that have perhaps inadvertently bought into Putin’s false
narrative on the war and recently abstained rather than voting
for the UN resolution? They should understand that Russia and
Putin are an unreliable partner for Africa.
The whole world, including the Commonwealth nations and our
friends in Africa and other parts of the global south, should
recognise that Vladimir Putin is no friend of theirs. He is using
their hunger as leverage in his war against Ukraine, and they
should be able to see what is happening. We will continue helping
to get grain out of Ukraine, to help them put food on their
tables.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement and answers, and
I particularly thank him for the £220 million of humanitarian
aid, which is incredibly important. With specific reference to
the passage of humanitarian aid, can he confirm that there are
still corridors for medical supplies and goods to reach the
innocent people caught in the midst of Putin’s despicable
criminal attacks?
The hon. Gentleman makes an incredibly important point. As well
as putting the money on the table, we have to make sure that our
support gets to the people who need it. We will constantly look
at ways of ensuring that is the case. He will understand that I
will refrain from going into details about the aid corridors
currently in place.
(Torbay) (Con)
As the Foreign Secretary will know, the attack in February was
not the first invasion of Ukraine by Russia; it has been
illegally occupying territory, including Crimea, for the past
eight years. Therefore, is he clear that any strike on Crimean
territory, particularly on the Sevastopol naval facilities, is a
strike on Ukrainian territory, not on Russian territory?
My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point: this conflict
did not start in February. The most recent phase of it started in
February, but Ukrainians have been attacked, abused, and occupied
by Russian forces for many, many years before that. We must never
lose sight of that fact.
(Crawley) (Con)
My right hon. Friend spoke about Iran supplying drones to Russia
to attack Ukrainians. Will he say a bit more about the
implications that has for the nuclear deal the world has with
Iran?
My hon. Friend raises an important point, but this is
fundamentally a separate issue. Our resolve, and the
international resolve, to prevent further nuclear proliferation
remains unchanged. We will continue working with our allies to
ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, but we will
also ensure that we prevent Iran, and indeed anyone else, from
exporting arms to Russia that are being used in this conflict in
Ukraine.
(Meriden) (Con)
It is incredibly worrying that Iran is undermining the Ukrainian
defence and putting Ukrainian civilians at risk by supplying
Russia with Shahed drones. I understand that we have sanctioned
three Iranian commanders, but will my right hon. Friend confirm
that he and the Prime Minister are willing to go further if
needed and that he will be raising the issue when he meets his
counterparts in the G7 this Thursday?
I assure my hon. Friend that we will continue to keep our
sanctions package under review. We will respond to any further
breaches of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and
we will ensure that the message is sent that those people and
companies that are supplying arms to Russia in breach of UN
Security Council resolutions will be responded to.
(Bassetlaw) (Con)
May I say how truly astounded I am at the bravery of the tens of
thousands of Ukrainians who have stepped up to defend their
homeland? Will my right hon. Friend assure me that the UK is
doing all it can, with its allies, to make sure that the
Ukrainians receive the necessary training for them to be able to
do their jobs?
At the beginning of the year, at the UN, I said that the
Ukrainians would defend their homeland ferociously, and they have
done exactly that. My respect for those people—both the
professional soldiers, air personnel and sailors in the Ukrainian
armed forces before the invasion, and those teachers, builders,
catwalk models and former politicians who have taken up arms to
defend their country—is enormous. They have the most enormous
respect from across the world. I assure my hon. Friend that we
will continue to support them as they defend themselves against
this illegal, unprovoked and barbaric invasion.
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