Tag: support for Ukraine

British warships to bolster Ukrainian navy

The UK is to lead a new Maritime Capability Coalition alongside Norway, with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps confirming the transfer of two Royal Navy minehunter ships to the Ukrainian Navy.

  • The UK will lead a new Maritime Capability Coalition alongside Norway, delivering ships and vehicles to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to operate at sea.
  • Defence Secretary Grant Shapps will today confirm Ukraine’s procurement of two Royal Navy minehunter ships for the Ukrainian Navy.
  • New coalition will deliver long-term support to Ukraine, including training, equipment, and infrastructure to bolster security in the Black Sea.

Two Royal Navy minehunter ships are being transferred from the Royal Navy to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in a move to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to operate at sea.

As the UK and Norway launch a new Maritime Capability Coalition, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps will announce the procurement of two Sandown Class mine countermeasures vessels (MCMVs) by Ukraine through UK Export Finance today in London.

He will be joined by his Norwegian counterpart to jointly launch the Maritime Capability Coalition. Alongside this new initiative, the Defence Secretary will confirm further details of UK military support to Ukraine.

Ukraine’s economy continues to be impacted by Putin’s blockade in the Black Sea, which has significantly reduced the country’s ability to move vital exports by sea. Strengthening the AFU’s maritime capabilities, in particular countering the threat from Russian sea mines, will help restore Ukraine’s maritime exports.

This builds on the UK Foreign Secretary’s visit to Ukraine last month where he welcomed the launch of the new ‘Unity Facility’ between UK company Marsh McLennan and the Ukrainian Government, which will provide affordable shipping insurance for grain and other critical food supplies globally from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, actively support international efforts to alleviate the global food crisis.

The new Maritime Capability Coalition will build the support that the UK, Norway, and others are providing to Ukraine. This will be long term to help Ukraine transform its navy, making it more compatible with western allies, more interoperable with NATO, and bolstering security in the Black Sea.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “These minehunters will deliver vital capability to Ukraine which will help save lives at sea and open up vital export routes, which have been severely limited since Putin launched his illegal full-scale invasion.

“This capability boost marks the beginning of a new dedicated effort by the UK, Norway and our allies to strengthen Ukraine’s maritime capabilities over the long term, enhancing their ability to operate in defending their sovereign waters and bolstering security in the Black Sea.

“As an island nation with a proud maritime history, the UK and Royal Navy are particularly well-placed to support this endeavour, which will form part of a series of new coalitions formed between allies to ensure an enduring military commitment in support of Ukraine.”

The new maritime coalition will work closely with the Ukrainian Navy and Ministry of Defence to develop a number of capabilities, including the rapid development of a maritime force in the Black Sea, continuing to develop a Ukrainian Marine Corps, and river patrol craft to defend coastal and inland waterways.

Agreed during recent meetings of the 50-nation strong Ukraine Defence Contact Group, it forms part of a series of Capability Coalitions to strengthen Ukraine’s operations in other domains including on land and in the air. 

The UK and Norway, together with other international partners, have already helped train hundreds of Ukrainian marines and aim to build on this work.

The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary have emphasised the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine, with £4.6bn in military support allocated since Putin launched his full-scale invasion, and more than 52,000 Ukrainian troops trained since Russia first invaded Crimea in 2014.

Housing for displaced Ukrainians

1,168 homes for people fleeing war in Ukraine

Almost 1,200 long-term homes are being brought back into use for those fleeing the war in Ukraine through an innovative approach.

The Scottish Government’s £50 million Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund supports Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords to improve properties that are currently void.  

The fund was launched in September 2022 following a successful pilot and has so far provided 14 approved projects with £23 million of grant funding, helping to bring 1,168 homes back into use.

Almost 1,000 Ukrainian people are already living in 450 of these refurbished homes. A further 225 homes have been completed and are in the process of being tenanted. 

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville announced the latest figures on a visit to see progress at a housing site in Edinburgh.

Ms Somerville said: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and are determined to do all we can to help those who wish to build their life here in Scotland.

“Our innovative £50 million programme provides a vital lifeline for those fleeing the war by providing long-term and secure accommodation through reclaimed empty homes. I am proud that Scotland has been able to play its part and pleased to see us reach and surpass the crucial milestone of 1,000 homes for displaced Ukrainians.

“We have been able to house hundreds of families and individuals in safe accommodation so far and we will continue to work closely with councils and housing associations as we build on this excellent progress.”

City of Edinburgh Council Housing, Homelessness, and Fair Work Convener, Councillor Jane Meagher said: “We are proud to continue our support of displaced Ukrainians, and are committed to assisting those making their new lives here in Edinburgh and beyond.

“The £50 million programme to refit currently empty properties is very much welcomed and will make a positive difference to many families. The approximately 100 homes in Edinburgh that will benefit from the programme will initially be used to house displaced Ukrainians, before ultimately being returned to our council housing stock. Without the support of the programme it is unlikely we would have been able to bring these properties back into use for some time.

“However, it is important that we remember the scale of the housing challenges our residents currently face, not just in Edinburgh but across Scotland.

“We will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and our other partners as we move forward.”

In September 2022, following a successful pilot, the Scottish Government launched the £50 million Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund. The Fund was designed to offer displaced people of Ukraine, settled accommodation for up to three years.

To date, the Scottish Government has provided 14 projects with almost £23 million in grant funding which has helped to bring back almost 1,200 homes. The fund remains open for applications.

The latest published data on the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme including the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor Scheme. The data shows as at 4 July there were:

24,962 total arrivals into the UK with a sponsor located in Scotland, of which 20,022 have come under the Super Sponsor scheme.

38,304 applications under the Super Sponsor scheme.

32,601 visas issued under the Super Sponsor scheme.

PM accelerates Ukraine support ahead of anniversary of Russian invasion

  • The Prime Minister has announced the UK will send tanks and self-propelled guns to aid the Ukrainian offensive
  • As the first anniversary of the war approaches, the PM has stressed the need for an international strategy to break the stalemate
  • This week the Foreign and Defence Secretaries will meet counterparts to galvanise international action

The Prime Minister is set to accelerate the UK’s diplomatic and military support to Ukraine in the weeks ahead in a bid to push Russia further back and secure a lasting peace.

A flurry of UK diplomatic activity will take place across the globe this week after the Prime Minister directed senior ministers to drive international action as we approach the first anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February.

The Prime Minister has already committed to match or exceed the UK’s defence support for Ukraine in 2023 and he instructed ministers and officials this week to ensure we are being proactive as possible across the full spectrum of our support.

UK defence and security officials believe a window has opened up where Russia is on the backfoot due to resupply issues and plummeting morale. The Prime Minister is therefore encouraging allies to deploy their planned support for 2023 as soon as possible to have maximum impact.

Sending Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine is the start of a gear change in the UK’s support. A squadron of 14 tanks will go into the country in the coming weeks after the Prime Minister told President Zelenskyy that the UK would provide additional support to aid Ukraine’s land war. Around 30 AS90s, which are large, self-propelled guns, operated by five gunners, are expected to follow. The Defence Secretary will set out further details of this support in the House of Commons on Monday.

The UK will begin training the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use the tanks and guns in the coming days, as part of wider UK efforts which have seen thousands of Ukrainian troops trained in the UK over the last six months.

The Prime Minister has tasked the Defence Secretary with bringing together European allies to ensure the surge of global military support is as strategic and coordinated as possible. The Defence Secretary will travel to Estonia and Germany this week to work with NATO allies and other international partners to this end.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary will travel to the United States later this week to discuss how the UK and US can leverage our position as leading supporters of Ukraine to galvanise further international action.

He will also travel to Canada – another of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters – to discuss closer coordination on international sanctions and our coordinated effort to boost our support to Ukraine.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “As the people of Ukraine approach their second year living under relentless Russian bombardment, the Prime Minister is dedicated to ensuring Ukraine wins this war.

“Alongside his closest military advisors, he has analysed the military picture, looked at the strategic impact of the UK’s support and identified a window where he thinks the UK and its allies can have maximum impact.

“The Prime Minister is clear that a long and static war only serves Russia’s ends. That’s why he and his ministers will be speaking to our allies across the world in the days and weeks ahead to ramp up pressure on Putin and secure a better future for Ukraine.”

In the lead up to the one-year anniversary of the invasion, the Prime Minister will seek to demonstrate the UK’s power as an international catalyst with influence across NATO, the G7, the Joint Expeditionary Force and elsewhere.

He will work with partners to put Ukraine in the strongest possible place to enter future peace negotiations from a position of military, economic and diplomatic strength and secure a strong and lasting peace.

Boris Johnson on Ukraine: “Their freedom is our freedom”

PM to tell G7 leaders: We must keep up our resolve on Ukraine

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell G7 leaders that any sign of fatigue or wavering in Western support for Ukraine will play directly into President Putin’s hands.

  • PM will tell major summit of democratic leaders that President Zelenskyy needs western backing more than ever
  • Meeting in Germany an opportunity for Western leaders to demonstrate to Ukraine, Russia and the world that we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes
  • UK is ready to guarantee another half a billion dollars in loans to the Ukrainian Government, bringing total UK economic and humanitarian support to over £1.5bn

Any sign of fatigue or wavering in Western support for Ukraine will play directly into President Putin’s hands, the Prime Minister will tell world leaders this week at the first in-person gathering of G7 leaders since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The first few weeks and months of the Ukrainian resistance have been characterised by overwhelming global unity and a huge surge of support for the Ukrainian people. It is essential that this is sustained for the long term. Russia’s behaviour and the atrocities Putin is committing must not become normalised in the eyes of the world.

During his second visit to Kyiv since the outbreak of war last week, the Prime Minister spoke to President Zelenskyy about the urgent needs of the Ukrainian Government. This includes military support, opening up the routes out of the country blockaded by the Russian military and urgent financial support to allow the Ukrainian state to function.

The Ukrainian Government fears it could run out of funding by the autumn unless it is given urgent financial help. To help with this pressing need the UK stands ready to provide another $525 million (or £429 million) in guarantees for World Bank lending later this year.

The new support announced today brings the total amount of fiscal support including UK loan guarantees to £1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) and the combined UK economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine to £1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) this year.

President Zelenskyy will virtually address the G7 Summit today. Following his address, the Prime Minister will use an intervention at the Summit to rally support for Ukraine.

He will encourage all G7 countries to back Ukraine in the long-term, building on the significant pledges already made since February.

The Prime Minister said: “Future generations will be awed and inspired by the truly heroic Ukrainian resistance in the face of Putin’s barbarism.

“Ukraine can win and it will win. But they need our backing to do so. Now is not the time to give up on Ukraine.

“The UK will continue to back Ukraine every step of the way, because we know that their security is our security, and their freedom is our freedom.”

UK loan guarantees are playing an important role in closing Ukraine’s financing gap, enabling Multilateral Development Banks like the World Bank to lend far more than they otherwise could to the Ukrainian Government. This lending is covering costs like Ukrainian public sector wages, and the running of schools and hospitals.

These investments will help preserve the Ukrainian state. The UK only covers the cost of the loan if the Ukrainian Government is unable to pay. They are therefore both an investment in Ukraine’s strategic resilience and an expression of confidence in the country’s future.

Without international support, the Ukrainian Government would be forced to pursue paths which compromise their macro-economic stability and long-term economic security, including running down reserves and printing money.  Policies like these would directly lead to mass inflation and humanitarian catastrophe in the country.

Edinburgh voluntary sector’s response to the Ukraine crisis: online event

Community and voluntary organisations are invited to hear about the work going on to support people from Ukraine arriving in Edinburgh.

Find out about the strategic and operational work that the community and voluntary sector is involved in to ensure a warm welcome to Edinburgh for the people of Ukraine, hosted by Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council.

Sign Up Here

Find out about the strategic and operational work that the community and voluntary sector is involved in to ensure a warm welcome to Edinburgh (and Scotland) for the people of Ukraine.

For several weeks Volunteer Edinburgh and EVOC have been involved in daily meetings with statutory partners to ensure we are helping the sector develop a strategic role and offer support on every level for the people arriving in our city.

The Ukrainian community and many community partners are also doing amazing work, as you would expect.

This online event will include representatives from:

  • Ukrainian Community
  • Community and voluntary sector organisations already delivering support
  • City of Edinburgh Council
  • Capital City Partnership

Programme:

  • Welcome & Introduction: Bridie Ashrowan
  • Panel Q&A with the representatives above (please submit any questions in advance to comms@evoc.org.uk)

If your organisation would like to play a part, please get in touch: olga.wojciechowska@evoc.org.uk

Find out about other support available for people from Ukraine here.

EVENT LINK: This event will take place on MS teams and the link will be sent out after registration closes.

Sign Up Here