This week, the pictures of traffic queues and desperate people trying to flee Ukraine reminded us all that, when you are fleeing for safety, you have no time to apply for a visa.
We know that, as someone who supports refugees and people seeking asylum, you will be concerned for the citizens of Ukraine. And for the millions of families who may be forced to make the heart-breaking decision to leave their homes in search of safety.
The Prime Minister has promised to welcome Ukrainian’s fleeing war and persecution. But we are deeply concerned that the Nationality and Borders Bill currently going through Parliament is in stark contrast to this promise.
We are calling on the UK Government to respond by strengthening safe and legal routes including a well-resourced resettlement program, expanding family reunion routes and creating humanitarian visas.
The Bill will undermine our obligation to give all who seek asylum a fair hearing on our soil by and uphold discriminating against refugees depending on how they reach our shores.
As a country with a proud heritage of supporting people seeking protection, this is an opportunity for the United Kingdom to play a leading role in the international efforts to help those desperately in need.
Together we will continue to fight for the UK to become a more welcoming place for refugees and people seeking safety.
New measures added to Online Safety Bill in fight against anonymous abusers
Main social media firms will have to give people the power to control who can interact with them, including blocking anonymous trolls
Platforms will also need to offer tools to give people more control over what posts they see on social media
To put more power in the hands of people using social media, the biggest and most popular firms will be required to provide users with tools to tailor their experiences and give them more decision-making over who can communicate with them and what kind of content they see.
The government recognises too many people currently experience online abuse and there are concerns that anonymity is fuelling this, with offenders having little to no fear of recrimination from either the platforms or law enforcement.
Over the past year people in the public eye, including England’s Euro 2020 footballers, have suffered horrendous racist abuse. Female politicians have recieved abhorrent death and rape threats, and there is repeated evidence of ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ people being subject to coordinated harassment and trolling.
So today the government is confirming it will add two new duties to its Online Safety Bill to strengthen the law against anonymous online abuse.
The first duty will force the largest and most popular social media sites to give adults the ability to block people who have not verified their identity on a platform. A second duty will require platforms to provide users with options to opt out of seeing harmful content.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Tech firms have a responsibility to stop anonymous trolls polluting their platforms.
“We have listened to calls for us to strengthen our new online safety laws and are announcing new measures to put greater power in the hands of social media users themselves.
“People will now have more control over who can contact them and be able to stop the tidal wave of hate served up to them by rogue algorithms.”
The vast majority of social networks used in the UK do not require people to share any personal details about themselves – they are able to identify themselves by a nickname, alias or other term not linked to a legal identity.
Removing the ability for anonymous trolls to target people on the biggest social media platforms will help tackle the issue at its root, and complement the existing duties in the Online Safety Bill and the powers the police have to tackle criminal anonymous abuse.
First duty – user verification and tackling anonymous abuse
The draft Online Safety Bill already places requirements on in-scope companies to tackle harmful content posted anonymously on their platforms and manage the risks around the use of anonymous profiles. This could include banning repeat offenders associated with abusive behaviour, preventing them from creating new accounts or limiting their functionality.
Under a new duty announced today, ‘category one’ companies with the largest number of users and highest reach – and thus posing the greatest risk – must offer ways for their users to verify their identities and control who can interact with them.
This could include giving users options to tick a box in their settings to receive direct messages and replies only from verified accounts. The onus will be on the platforms to decide which methods to use to fulfil this identity verification duty but they must give users the option to opt in or out.
When it comes to verifying identities, some platforms may choose to provide users with an option to verify their profile picture to ensure it is a true likeness. Or they could use two-factor authentication where a platform sends a prompt to a user’s mobile number for them to verify. Alternatively, verification could include people using a government-issued ID such as a passport to create or update an account.
Banning anonymity online entirely would negatively affect those who have positive online experiences or use it for their personal safety such as domestic abuse victims, activists living in authoritarian countries or young people exploring their sexuality.
The new duty will provide a better balance between empowering and protecting adults – particularly the vulnerable – while safeguarding freedom of expression online because it will not require any legal free speech to be removed. While this will not prevent anonymous trolls posting abusive content in the first place – providing it is legal and does not contravene the platform’s terms and conditions – it will stop victims being exposed to it and give them more control over their online experience.
Users who see abuse will be able to report it and the bill will significantly strengthen the reporting mechanisms companies have in place for inappropriate, bullying and harmful content, and ensure they have clear policies and performance metrics for tackling it.
Edleen John, The FA’s Director of International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Co-partner for EDI, said: “On behalf of English football, the FA welcomes the news that the Government will be strengthening the Online Safety Bill to protect users from anonymous online abuse.
“For too long, footballers and other participants across the game have been subjected to abhorrent discriminatory abuse from those who hide behind a cloak of anonymity, which has perpetuated a culture of impunity online. This needs to stop.
The measures announced by the Government are a helpful first step to put the onus and responsibility on social media companies to create a safe space for all their users, and to give people the option to control who they interact with and what they see online. We look forward to the Online Safety Bill being introduced to the House of Commons in the near future.”
Second duty – giving people greater choice over what they see on social media
The bill will already force in-scope companies to remove illegal content such as child sexual abuse imagery, the promotion of suicide, hate crimes and incitement to terrorism.
But there is a growing list of toxic content and behaviour on social media which falls below the threshold of a criminal offence but which still causes significant harm. This includes racist abuse, the promotion of self-harm and eating disorders, and dangerous anti-vaccine disinformation. Much of this is already expressly forbidden in social networks’ terms and conditions but too often it is allowed to stay up and is actively promoted to people via algorithms.
Under a second new duty, ‘category one’ companies will have to make tools available for their adult users to choose whether they want to be exposed to any legal but harmful content where it is tolerated on a platform.
These tools could include new settings and functions which prevent users receiving recommendations about certain topics or place sensitivity screens over that content.
Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking is urging candidates in the upcoming elections this May to make walking and wheeling safer and easier, to help enable more people to choose cleaner and healthier ways to travel.
Cut the clutter and make walking easier for everyone.
A Manifesto for Walking sets out key asks of candidates, including a default 20mph limit in built-up areas, more car-free areas, and clutter-free pavements.
Latest figures show that pedestrians in Scotland accounted for 37 per cent of fatalities and 34 per cent of serious injuries on built-up roads. Whilst particulate air pollution alone causes almost 2,100 early deaths in Scotland every year.
Roberta Fusco, Interim Director of Policy and Communications, Living Streets said: “People walking and wheeling cause the least amount of road danger or pollution but are often left paying the price on our streets in terms of deaths on our roads and exposure to toxic air. It doesn’t have to be this way.
“By standing up for pedestrians, candidates can tackle road danger, air pollution and health problems, creating places where people can move and breathe easily.”
Living Streets is urging voters to call on their local candidates to improve streets for walking.
Free children’s workshop in Edinburgh store this March
The UK’s leading garden centre retailer, Dobbies, is hosting a free Little Seedlings workshop on Sunday 6 March in Edinburgh, delving into the much-loved garden strawberry.
The workshop will take place at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store and is perfect for children aged 4-10. During the Little Seedlings Club, children will take a closer look at one of the most popular fruits in the world, the strawberry, and discover the history surrounding the fruit and its importance to our eco-system.
Children attending the workshop will soon become strawberry experts, learning how to grow this marvellous fruit, how to nurture and look after their plants, and top tips for selecting the best crop.
Dobbies will also be introducing children to the different ways they can use their delicious homegrown produce in the food and drink they enjoy at home.
This workshop has sustainability at its core and will highlight the key benefits of using peat-free compost and safer pest control products. Growing your own heavily reduces your carbon footprint, packaging waste, food waste and eliminates the need for harmful chemical fertilisers – a brilliant way to support your body, mind and the planet.
Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager said: “We’re looking forward to our March Little Seedlings Club in our Edinburgh store. Our horticultural team thoroughly enjoy supporting these keen young gardeners, while introducing them to different ways to help look after our planet.
“The fun and interactive format of our Little Seedlings Club engages children from all backgrounds to learn while finding their passion for gardening.
“We’d advise those looking to attend to book in advance to avoid any disappointment.”
Advance booking is required to secure your space for this free to attend event at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store. For more information on how your little one can take part, visit www.dobbies.com/events
Women are being failed as the awareness crisis in ovarian cancer deepens. Symptoms of ovarian cancer are being ignored – both by those experiencing them and their GPs.
This March, for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Target Ovarian Cancer is urging the public to sign open letters to governments across the UK and tell them what is needed to combat the crisis. We desperately need to make progress in people’s knowledge of the symptoms.
In 2010 my mother, the actress Marjie Lawrence, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just three weeks before she died. Had we and her doctors been aware of the symptoms, Marjie might be alive today. If diagnosed at the earliest stage, 9 in 10 women will survive. But two thirds of women are diagnosed late, when the cancer is harder to treat.
I’m writing to ask your readers to take just two minutes of their time to learn the symptoms and spread the word to their families and friends. The main symptoms of ovarian cancer are: persistent bloating, feeling full or having difficulty eating, tummy pain, and needing to wee more often or more urgently.
If you believe in a future where every woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer has the best chance of survival, please show your support and add your name to the open letter: campaign.targetovariancancer.org.uk/openletter
With best wishes,
SARAH GREENE,
Target Ovarian Cancer Patron
30 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2PT
Target Ovarian Cancer is the UK’s leading ovarian cancer charity. We work to improve early diagnosis, fund life-saving research and provide much-needed support to women with ovarian cancer
Seed funding for Edinburgh communities to combat climate change
Since Scotland’s Climate Festival launched during COP26, just over 100 days ago, environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful has funded four projects in Edinburgh to support ambitions to host a climate festival event.
Across Scotland 30 projects from 13 local authority areas – from the Highlands to the Borders – have received funding of up to £500, to help them inspire their communities to take action on climate change – and there is still time to apply before the deadline of 1 March.
The first project to receive funding was Falkirk Delivers to support a two-day event, Shop26, in Falkirk town centre. Since then, the seed funding has supported festivals themed around food, waste, growing, energy, travel, culture, conversations and policy.
The funding supported four projects in Edinburgh including:
Granton Goes Greener and Granton Parish Church – £450. An eco-fayre with art and craft upcycling workshops, a sustainable fashion show encouraging second-hand clothes, a creative writing session and surplus food on offer.
The Salisbury Centre – £500. A day for the community to discover how to use the new seed library and learn about seed saving and food growing, using interactive workshops, demonstrations, storytelling and creative play.
Greenbank Pre-School – £100. A Big Dig Day inviting all families to visit the nursery garden to upcycle, refresh the space and plant seeds and seedlings.
Milan Senior Welfare Organisation – £500. A three-day community event for elderly South Asian communities and unpaid carers, with information and practical activities to raise awareness of climate change and climate action.
To support local event organisers, online Festival Forum events have also taken place, bringing together projects all working to a common goal to share their experiences and learnings.
Paul Wallace, Campaigns and Social Innovation Manager, said, “Now, more than 100 days since world leaders met to discuss climate change in Glasgow at COP26, there is even more urgency for us to support climate action so that everyone, from all areas of life, can play their part combatting the climate emergency.
“We’re delighted to have been able to fund 30 projects so far, including the four in Edinburgh, and strongly encourage others to find out more about the funding available and make their applications before the upcoming deadline at the start of next month.”
Alongside the wide range of local climate festival events, the charity’s Climate Festival team has held a national event series which is free and open to all.
These events have created space for conversations around climate change and positive actions we can take to tackle it. The inaugural event was in December and kicked off discussions with a crucial conversation on the outcomes and opportunities following COP26 and what is next for Scotland.
Since then, further events have included a panel of experts talking about women’s roles in sustainable food systems, an online film screening and discussion session with the makers of the documentary ‘Scotland: Our Climate Journey’ and a panel discussion on the Wellbeing Economy with Minister and MSP Lorna Slater.
The recordings of Scotland’s Climate Festival national events can be found on YouTube and people can sign up to attend future online and in person events in March, including ‘Storytelling for Change’ on March 8 and a film screening of ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ at Glasgow Science Centre on March 14, via Eventbrite.
Scotland’s Climate Festival is supported by the Scottish Government.
Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove yesterday toured a state-of-the-art research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence in Edinburgh, which is backed by £21 million in UK government funding.
Mr Gove saw some of the innovative research projects being developed at the National Robotarium including a demonstration from the facility’s resident robot dogs. These four-legged robots will be used to support people working in hazardous environments like energy inspection and disaster recovery as well as making the construction process safer, more efficient, and sustainable.
The funding, which is provided through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal with an additional £1.4 million from the Scottish Government, is supporting the National Robotarium to create cutting-edge solutions to many of the challenges we face in everyday life.
Examples of projects include the development of a train cleaning robot that can complement existing staff while reducing health risks, a robotic coach to aid the process of long-term rehabilitation after stroke, and underwater robots to support safer inspection and repair of offshore wind turbines. Mr Gove also heard more about the facility’s growing partnerships with industry, healthcare organisations and its support for entrepreneurship.
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP said: “Levelling up is a shared endeavour across the United Kingdom. To succeed, we have to work together. We can see here in Edinburgh what we can achieve when governments, local authorities, partners from academia and private sector come together to deliver real results.
“The National Robotarium is the perfect example of what is possible when we work together, and it has been fantastic to see some of the innovative projects being developed here that genuinely have the potential to change people’s lives for the better.”
Based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, the new facility is due to be completed this year, bringing with it jobs and prosperity to the region.
The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal draws on a combined total of £600 million in funding from both Scottish and UK governments to invest in projects over a 15 year period focussing on research, employability and skills, transport, culture and housing.
Heriot-Watt University Vice Principal, Professor Mark Biggs said: “Backed by the combined experience of Heriot-Watt and the University of Edinburgh, we’re demonstrating how Scotland and the UK can lead global developments in robotics and AI, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and addressing some of industry and societies biggest challenges.
“We look forward to working closely with governments to ensure the National Robotarium makes a positive impact by accelerating growth, attracting investment and acting as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and job creation.”
This comes less than a month after the UK government set out an ambitious plan to level up the whole of the United Kingdom. In addition to existing City Region and City and Growth Deals, the Levelling Up White Paper set up further plans to harness innovation, including £100 million in funding to set up three innovation accelerators across the UK, including one in Glasgow. These will create “Silicon Valley” set ups which will harness research and development in the area.
We have already seen investment as part of the UK government suite of levelling up funds. £1.7 billion was invested throughout the UK in round one of the Levelling Up Fund including £172 million on 8 projects in Scotland.
While in Edinburgh, Mr Gove, who is also the UK government Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, also visited the flagship UK Government Hub in Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth House, and spoke at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Improvement Service Annual Conference 2022.
He also appeared before the Finance and Public Administration Committee of the Scottish Parliament.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss writes in today’s Daily Telegraph:
Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine exposes Vladimir Putin’s regime for what it is: mendacious, bellicose and calculating. His Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, told me directly that Russia would not invade. Last week, they claimed to be pulling back their forces. They have lied to the world and their own people again and again. This is not just an assault on the innocent people of Ukraine, their sovereignty and their future. It is also an attack on the security and freedom of Europe.
With so much at stake, the United Kingdom is leading the charge to rally international support for Ukraine and to respond alongside our allies with strength. That’s why we have been at the forefront in supplying defensive weapons and economic support to Ukraine. We have also been consistent in calling out Russian disinformation and the false flag operations aimed at creating a pretext for invasion.
Yesterday, I summoned the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Office, where I made clear that he should be ashamed and Russia had lost its last shred of credibility within the international community. Shortly, I will embark on a round of shuttle diplomacy across Europe and the United States to galvanise a united, decisive and determined response to this aggression.
The UK is proud to lead by example. We warned repeatedly alongside our allies that any further invasion would incur massive consequences with severe costs. We have been working in lockstep to show Moscow that we mean what we say. Our unprecedented package of economic sanctions will leave no part of the Putin regime unscathed. We are hitting more than a hundred companies and oligarchs at the heart of the Russian establishment with sanctions worth many hundreds of billions of pounds.
Our targets range from Russia’s largest defence company and its second biggest bank to leading members of President Putin’s inner circle. This will deliver the highest economic cost the Kremlin has ever seen.
We are freezing Russian banks’ assets in the UK, and preventing Russian companies from raising finance in our markets. We will prevent Russia from raising sovereign debt in the UK.
By closing these major financial lifelines worth billions of pounds, we will cripple Russia’s economic development in both the short and long term. And we are working with our allies to maximise the pressure through measures like excluding Russia from using the SWIFT financial system.
We will substantially strengthen trade restrictions – including our toughest export controls against Russia – to hammer its electronics, telecoms and aerospace industries. In this way, we will degrade Russia’s military development for years to come, blunting the potential growth of Putin’s war machine. We are also banning Russia’s flagship airline, Aeroflot, from our airspace.
We are sanctioning more of the Russian elite, including President Putin’s former son-in-law Kirill Shamalov as well as the heads of major Russian missile suppliers and aircraft manufacturers. They will be unable to travel to the UK and any assets based here will be frozen. We will also be sanctioning the Belarus regime for their craven role in aiding and abetting Russia’s actions.
The Kremlin is leading the Russian people into a quagmire and turning Russia into a global pariah. This is the moment to take a hard-headed approach, which means being ready to accept short-term pain for long-term gain – in the knowledge that the pain felt by Putin will be exponentially higher. German Chancellor Scholz has recognised how vital this is by suspending Nord Stream 2, as Europe moves to cut its dependence on Russian gas.
With Ukraine’s future in peril, we must unite in putting a stop to President Putin’s aggressive ambitions. He is hell-bent on realising his dream of recreating a Greater Russia with swathes of Europe in his sphere of influence.
That is why he also tries to needle other free democracies on Russia’s doorstep. He made that clear in his fact-free diatribes this week, smearing our allies in Eastern Europe with the false accusation that they moved “against Russia” by joining Nato – which is a purely defensive alliance.
We know Russia is willing to build an invasion on lies, so it could not be more important to stay vigilant. We have set up a new government Information Cell dedicated to rebutting the Kremlin’s fake narratives designed to justify the unjustifiable.
At this defining moment, we stand with Ukraine, its people and its democracy and will continue to support them economically, politically and defensively. I saw their courage and fortitude on my visit to Kyiv last week.
They have risked their lives to choose freedom and are ready to do so again. We cannot – and will not – rest until the Russian economy pays the price and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are restored.
Thousands of volunteers have been supporting efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic through the National Volunteer Co-ordination (NVC) hub established a year ago.
The NVC hub was established by the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland last February. Run by the British Red Cross, it has so far provided more than 7,000 individual volunteer shifts over that period, totalling more 54,000 volunteering hours.
This has complemented the major contribution of community volunteering organised by third sector interfaces (TSIs), NHS volunteers and others across the country, towards the national COVID response effort over the past two years.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf met with volunteers in Edinburgh today who have helped carry out a range of roles, including support with vaccination, community testing and shielding support, as well as shopping, prescription delivery and social contact.
Mr Yousaf said: “Volunteers have played an essential role in helping to deal with the impact of the pandemic on communities all over Scotland – in many ways they are the unsung heroes of our collective effort.
“The contribution they make, from providing necessary support for shielders and maintaining vital human contact at the start of the pandemic, to assisting the roll-out of the vaccination campaign and handing out COVID test kits, has been pivotal to our collective response. They typify the incredible spirit we have seen throughout the pandemic from communities across Scotland and the individuals and organisations working within them.
“The creation of the NVC hub has ensured that volunteering support is targeted to areas where it is most needed – and participation levels have been remarkable.
“It has complemented the vital role played by a wide range of local community groups and individuals. We owe all volunteers a huge debt of gratitude for their efforts.”
And NHS volunteers have provided 52,000 volunteering hours to Health Boards across the country the last quarter of last year, alone.
Alan Stevenson, CEO, Volunteer Scotland: “Volunteers have given enormous support to others throughout this pandemic and in doing so, mitigated some of its worst effects.
“They’ve provided the response our society needed at that time, from being the first to react – delivering food, prescriptions and social connection – to helping provide successful national testing and vaccination programmes. As Volunteers address the long-lasting impact of COVID-19, largely for the most vulnerable in society, they will need our support and recognition.”
Solidarity with Ukraine debate: First Minister’s statement
Statement by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon opening the debate, Solidarity with Ukraine in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 24 February 2022:
Presiding Officer,
Today we woke to the horror of an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and a reality that we all hoped had become unthinkable – a land war in Europe, and today, literally as we speak, that horror in Ukraine is intensifying
Much discussion will focus rightly on the geopolitical impact, but as ever, when so-called ‘strong men leaders’ flex their muscles, it is the innocent and most vulnerable who suffer the most.
At the sharp end of any conflict are men, women, and children – civilians, who have the right to go about their daily lives in peace, but who will inevitably bear the brunt of this full-scale invasion.
Many will be terrified and are fleeing.
Our thoughts are with them in this darkest of hours, and we must provide them with practical support, aid and refuge.
This is arguably the most serious moment the world has faced since the end of the Cold War, and one of the most dangerous since World War II.
By launching this invasion of a sovereign, independent nation, Vladimir Putin has committed an illegal act of aggression, which has no conceivable justification.
His warped rewriting of history, underpinning his imperialist delusions, is no justification.
His claims about the actions of Ukraine’s government are false, and offer no justification.
And notwithstanding different opinions here and elsewhere about the role and objectives of NATO, his assertions about its so-called Eastern expansion and threat to Russian security lack credibility. They are an excuse, not a reason and certainly not a justification.
His motives are simpler. Imperialist expansion, coupled with a fear of allowing democracy to flourish on his borders, in case it finds its way into Russia.
And if these are his motives, no one should doubt his ultimate intention. He wants to end Ukraine’s very existence as an independent, democratic state.
This is a moment therefore of genuine peril. First and foremost for the people of Ukraine but also for the world – and it is a time for all democracies, and all countries that believe in the rule of international law to stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and to stand against Russian aggression.
That is why I believe it is important for Parliament today to condemn Russia’s actions unreservedly, to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and to support Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
That of course is the right thing to do for all countries.
But I know in expressing our solidarity with Ukraine, many of us are mindful of the strong ties between Scotland and Ukraine.
As just one example, our capital city Edinburgh is twinned with Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.
And of course, there are several thousand Ukrainian citizens living in Scotland. They are valued and welcome members of our communities.
For all of them, especially those with family and friends still in Ukraine, this will be an especially anxious time, and the Scottish Government will do all we can to support them, and we will work with the Foreign Office to support enquiries from any in Scotland who may be worried about loved ones in Ukraine.
We are also working with the UK and other devolved governments to ensure support is available if needed, to Ukrainian British nationals returning to the UK.
I discussed the concerns of Ukrainians in Scotland yesterday with both the Acting Consul General and with Linda Allison, the Chair of the Ukrainian community here.
I made clear to both of them, the Scottish Government’s condemnation of Russian actions, and our support for and solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
In addition, I made it clear that Scotland stands with those members of the international community who have opposed Russian aggression by imposing sanctions.
After all, expressions of solidarity with Ukraine – welcome though they are – are not sufficient in this moment of great peril.
Firm and decisive action is needed.
It is particularly needed, because this week’s atrocities by Russia are not isolated – they are part of a pattern of this Russian regime’s aggression, which of course includes the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.
Now I deliberately say the ‘Russian regime’ because it is important to be clear that the crimes, and I also use that word deliberately, now being committed by Putin should be laid at his door, and at the doors of his kleptocratic cronies.
They should not be laid at the door of the people of Russia wholesale. Nor should they be laid at the door of Russians or people of Russian background now living here in Scotland.
But these crimes cannot, and they must not, go unanswered.
We cannot have a situation – as arguably did happen with Crimea – where the world expresses shock and outrage for a period of time, but then allows the Russian regime to consolidate its gains, with relatively few consequences and then plan further aggression.
If we are to deter Putin this time, sanctions must hit him and his allies hard, with severe and lasting consequences – he must pay a heavy price for aggression.
I therefore welcome the EU’s intention to impose a package of what it calls ‘massive, targeted sanctions’, the detail of which I know we should learn tonight.
The UK of course, sadly, will now not be in the room when those sanctions are being discussed and decided.
But as the Estonian Prime Minister said this morning, the most effective response to Russian aggression is unity. So I hope we will see coordinated action across the international community.
We welcomed the sanctions the UK government announced on Tuesday. But as I said at the time those measures against just five banks and three individuals, were too limited.
There is no case at all, in my view, to delay tough action now.
The experience of recent years shows that softer action does not encourage better behaviour on the part of Putin, it simply emboldens him in his aggressions.
The UK government therefore must announce further, much more significant steps as quickly as possible, and I am hopeful they will do so.
It must also address the fact – and it is a fact, that the city of London is awash with Russian money.
Its response must therefore include a ruthless and comprehensive attack on the wealth and assets of the Russian regime and its backers.
This demands a serious and systematic approach, and the Scottish Government will strongly support further moves by the UK Government in that direction.
The Scottish Government will also work with the UK Government and other partners, including the UK National Cyber Security Centre, in staying vigilant against any direct threats that Russia might present to Scotland, for example through cyber-attacks.
The National Cyber Security Centre is closely monitoring the threat to the UK as a priority and I have in recent weeks, in addition to briefing from the National Security Adviser, been participating in four nations discussions on how we deal with the range of domestic impacts that we may experience.
Presiding Officer,
The final point I want to make today is this – this crisis is fundamentally about Russian aggression against Ukraine, but there is also a far wider international and indeed moral dimension to this crisis.
Putin wants to dismember, essentially to obliterate, Ukraine as an independent, democratic nation.
If he is allowed to get away with his aggression, the international community will have failed – and that failure will give encouragement to other countries, and other so-called ‘strong man leaders’ who consider acts of aggression in future.
So this crisis is a test for all nations. It is a test of how prepared we are to support not just the principle, but the reality of an international order based on law, rules and peaceful co-existence.
It is a test of how prepared we are to protect freedom, peace and democracy.
All of us must speak out against Putin’s aggression and we must stand up for the values of democracy, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peace.
First and foremost as the best chance of deterring aggression against Ukraine, and standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. But we must do so also for the sake of other countries across the world, we must do so for the sake of our world.
We must not accept this as a moment that bloody and prolonged war returns to our continent.
Today Parliament can add Scotland’s voice to all of those now standing up for peace, freedom, and democracy.
We can add this Parliament and Scotland’s voice to all of those standing with the people of Ukraine, in this, the darkest of hours.
For that reason, Presiding Officer, with a sombre sense but with pride, I move the motion in my name.
