Scotland sends £2.9 million of urgently needed items
Scotland is sending critical medical supplies and equipment to help Ukraine following the illegal invasion by Russia.
Over 500,000 emergency items valued at about £2.9 million, including hypodermic needles and oxygen masks are being donated by NHS Scotland.
An initial donation will be flown from Stansted Airport in Essex to Poland tomorrow (Thursday) for onward transport to Ukraine and includes wound dressings and bandages. These supplies are urgently needed by the Ukrainian Government.
The medical aid is in addition to £4 million of humanitarian assistance for Ukraine announced by the Scottish Government on Monday, which will help provide basic support such as shelter, water and sanitation.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited the NHS equipment storage facility in Motherwell to see the supplies being loaded. She said: “Scotland stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and we are ready to provide whatever support we can in their hour of need.
“The Ukrainian Government has requested critical medical assistance and I am proud of our NHS and all those who have worked tirelessly in recent days to make this initial consignment possible. We will deliver the rest of the supplies as quickly as we can.
“Scotland has strong links with Ukraine – Edinburgh is twinned with Kyiv and many Ukrainians have chosen our country as their home – and we will continue to provide practical help as it faces Russia’s unprovoked and illegal aggression.”
NHS National Services Scotland Chief Executive Mary Morgan said: “We are all very saddened by what is happening in Ukraine and our thoughts are with all those affected.
“Colleagues across NHS National Services Scotland, quickly mobilised to compile this shipment of necessary medical equipment which will go towards supporting the people of Ukraine, and we as an organisation will do whatever we can to support this period of uncertainty.
“Time is of the essence in this these situations, and thanks goes to the NHS teams for a fantastic effort in the coordination of this effort to support the humanitarian effort of Ukraine.”
Joint statement by the UK and other international partners on financial measures against Russia:
We, the leaders of the United Kingdom, the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and the United States condemn Putin’s war of choice and attacks on the sovereign nation and people of Ukraine.
We stand with the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people in their heroic efforts to resist Russia’s invasion. Russia’s war represents an assault on fundamental international rules and norms that have prevailed since the Second World War, which we are committed to defending. We will hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for Putin.
This past week, alongside our diplomatic efforts and collective work to defend our own borders and to assist the Ukrainian government and people in their fight, we, as well as our other allies and partners around the world, imposed severe measures on key Russian institutions and banks, and on the architects of this war, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As Russian forces unleash their assault on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, we are resolved to continue imposing costs on Russia that will further isolate Russia from the international financial system and our economies. We will implement these measures within the coming days.
Specifically, we commit to undertake the following measures:
First, we commit to ensuring that selected Russian banks are removed from the SWIFT messaging system. This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally.
Second, we commit to imposing restrictive measures that will prevent the Russian Central Bank from deploying its international reserves in ways that undermine the impact of our sanctions.
Third, we commit to acting against the people and entities who facilitate the war in Ukraine and the harmful activities of the Russian government. Specifically, we commit to taking measures to limit the sale of citizenship—so called golden passports—that let wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government become citizens of our countries and gain access to our financial systems.
Fourth, we commit to launching this coming week a transatlantic task force that will ensure the effective implementation of our financial sanctions by identifying and freezing the assets of sanctioned individuals and companies that exist within our jurisdictions.
As a part of this effort we are committed to employing sanctions and other financial and enforcement measures on additional Russian officials and elites close to the Russian government, as well as their families, and their enablers to identify and freeze the assets they hold in our jurisdictions.
We will also engage other governments and work to detect and disrupt the movement of ill-gotten gains, and to deny these individuals the ability to hide their assets in jurisdictions across the world.
Finally, we will step up or coordination against disinformation and other forms of hybrid warfare.
We stand with the Ukrainian people in this dark hour. Even beyond the measures we are announcing today, we are prepared to take further measures to hold Russia to account for its attack on Ukraine.
UK forces arrive to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank
Royal Navy ships, British Army troops, and Royal Air force fighters are arriving on new deployments in eastern Europe to bolster NATO’s eastern front.
HMS Trent is in the eastern Mediterranean, conducting NATO exercises with Merlin Helicopters and RAF P8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft. They will be shortly joined by HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, which set sail from Portsmouth on Friday.
Challenger 2 tanks and armoured vehicles of the Royal Welsh battlegroup have arrived in Estonia from Germany, with further equipment and around 1000 troops arriving over the coming days. This will lead to a doubling of the UK presence in Estonia, where the UK leads a NATO battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s enhanced Forward Presence.
RAF Typhoon fighter jets have already completed their first air policing missions across the region, with an additional four aircraft based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Typhoons flying from bases in Cyprus and the UK are now patrolling NATO airspace over Romania and Poland alongside NATO allies with Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft in support.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP said: “Our armed forces are once again being called upon in the service of our Nation and I salute the bravery and sense of duty shared by all our personnel who have been deployed to support NATO.
“Alongside our NATO Allies, these deployments constitute a credible deterrent to stop Russian aggression threatening the territorial sovereignty of member states.”
Yesterday, the Defence Secretary held a virtual donor conference with more than 25 countries, including the US and Canada and some countries outside NATO, coordinating their support to Ukraine.
They will continue to give humanitarian and military support, which includes ammunition and anti-tank weapons, and the UK has offered to conduct logistics operations to support the delivery of donations.
NATO Allies are united in response to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and are collectively taking a range of measures to protect their security and deter further aggression.
“We will make all deployments necessary to ensure strong and credible deterrence and defence across the Alliance, now and in the future. Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory.”
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.
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.
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.
Following Russia’s announcement that it would conduct a military campaign in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has issued a statement
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “Russia’s assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated attack against a sovereign democratic state. The UK and our international partners stand united in condemning the Russian government’s reprehensible actions, which are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.
“Over recent weeks, the Russian government have repeatedly denied their hostile intent towards Ukraine. At the same time, they have massed troops, launched cyber-attacks, and staged false pretexts and provocations. Today, the Russian government has shown that it was never serious about engaging in diplomacy – focussed only on deceit and furthering their territorial ambitions.
“We are urgently convening discussions with our allies and partners to coordinate our response. Together we will hold the Russian government to account.
“We have always been clear there would be massive consequences and a severe cost for any Russian military incursion into Ukraine. As a result of their actions, we will today launch an unprecedented package of further sanctions that we have developed with our international partners.
“To ensure the security and defence of all our Allies, we will continue to work together to make sure that Russia cannot further undermine European stability.
“We will continue to support the Ukrainian government in the face of this assault on their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The UK and the international community stand against this naked aggression, and for freedom, democracy, and the sovereignty of nations around the world. We hold the people of Ukraine in our hearts and minds at this terrible moment in their nation’s history.“
Russia has unleashed a military invasion of Ukraine, with reports of explosions near major cities across the country.
In a TV address to the Russian people early this morning, President Putin warned Western governments not to interfere.
Russia launched its military operation after recognising the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine earlier this week. The breakaway pro-Russian regions later asked Moscow for military support, giving Putin an excuse, ifhe needed one, to escalate military operations.
In his announcement early this morning, Mr Putin said the military operation’s objective was to defend those people who had been subjected for eight years to “genocide by the Kyiv regime”.
In the TV statement Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia did not plan to occupy Ukraine, but said Moscow’s response would be “instant” if anyone tried to stop this.
While Western leaders have condemned Putin’s actions, NATO will not take up arms to support the Ukranian people.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the early hours of this morning.
The Prime Minister said he was appalled by the unfolding events in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian President updated the Prime Minister on the attacks taking place, and the Prime Minister said the West would not stand by as President Putin waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people.
The Prime Minister said he hoped Ukraine could resist and that Ukraine and its people were in the thoughts of everyone in the United Kingdom people during this dark time.
The Prime Minister is currently chairing a COBRA meeting to discuss developments in Ukraine.
Further sanctions are the likely outcome, but sanctions on their own will never deter an autocrat hell bent on having his own way. While NATO wrings it’s hands, Putin will be laughing all the way to Kyiv.
PM Boris Johnson gave an address to the nation on the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Shortly after 4 o’ clock this morning I spoke to president Zelenskyy of Ukraine to offer the continued support of the UKbecause our worst fears have now come true and all our warnings have proved tragically accurate.
President Putin of Russia has unleashed war in our European continent. He has attacked a friendly country without any provocation and without any credible excuse
Innumerable missiles and bombs have been raining down on an entirely innocent population
A vast invasion is underway by land by sea and by air.
And this is not in the infamous phrase some faraway country of which we know little
We have Ukrainian friends in this country; neighbours, co-workers
Ukraine is a country that for decades has enjoyed freedom and democracy and the right to choose its own destiny
We – and the world – cannot allow that freedom just to be snuffed out. We cannot and will not just look away.
It is because we have been so alarmed in recent months at the Russian intimidation that the UK became one of the first countries in Europe to send defensive weaponry to help the Ukrainians
Other allies have now done the same and we will do what more we can in the days ahead
Today in concert with our allies we will agree a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy
And to that end we must also collectively cease the dependence on Russian oil and gas that for too long has given Putin his grip on western politics
Our mission is clear – Diplomatically, politically, economically – and eventually, militarily – this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure.
And so I say to the people of Russia, whose president has just authorised a tidal wave of violence against a fellow Slavic people
The parents of Russian soldiers who will lose their lives.
I cannot believe this is being done in your name or that you really want the pariah status it will bring to the Putin regime
and I say to the Ukrainians in this moment of agony
we are with you we are praying for you and your families
and we are on your side
And if the months ahead are grim, and the flame of freedom burns low
I know that it will blaze bright again in Ukraine because for all his bombs and tanks and missiles I don’t believe that the Russian dictator will ever subdue the national feeling of the Ukrainians and their passionate belief that their country should be free
and I say to the British people and all who have heard the threats from Putin against those who stand with Ukraine
we will of course do everything to keep our country safe
We are joined in our outrage by friends and allies around the world
We will work with them – for however long it takes – to ensure that the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine is restored
because this act of wanton and reckless aggression is an attack not just on Ukraine
It is an attack on democracy and freedom in East Europe and around the world
This crisis is about the right of a free, sovereign independent European people to choose their own future – and that is a right that the UK will always defend.
Oligarchs at the heart of Putin’s inner circle and banks which have bankrolled the Russian occupation of Crimea have been targeted by the first wave of UK sanctions in response to Russia’s further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement to the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss yesterday designated the initial tranche of sanctions on Russia. The sanctions package targets oligarchs and banks associated with the Kremlin.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “This first wave of sanctions will hit oligarchs and banks close to the Kremlin. It sends a clear message that the UK will use our economic heft to inflict pain on Russia and degrade their strategic interests.
“And we are prepared to go much further if Russia does not pull back from the brink. We will curtail the ability of the Russian state and Russian companies to raise funds in our markets, prohibit a range of high tech exports, and further isolate Russian banks from the global economy.
“These will be surgically targeted sanctions that will hit Russia hard.”
Using new powers introduced on 10 February, the UK has frozen the assets and imposed travel bans on 3 leading members of the Russian elite of particular significance to the Kremlin: Gennady Timchenko, Russia’s sixth richest oligarch, and Boris and Igor Rotenberg, 2 long-standing associates of the regime.
Assets of 5 Russian banks involved in bankrolling the Russian occupation have also been frozen with immediate effect. This includes Bank Rossiya, which is particularly close to the Kremlin, Black Sea Bank for Development and Reconstruction, IS Bank and Genbank. The assets of Promsvyazbank, the pivotal bank in propping up Russia’s defence sector, have also been frozen.
The UK will also sanction those members of the Russian Duma and Federation Council who voted to recognise the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk in flagrant violation of Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.
In addition, over the coming weeks we will extend the territorial sanctions imposed on Crimea to non-government controlled territory in the so-called breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. No UK individual or business will be able to deal with this territory until it is returned to Ukrainian control.
In the event of further aggressive acts by Russia against Ukraine, we have prepared an unprecedented package of further sanctions ready to go. These include a wide ranging set of measures targeting the Russian financial sector, and trade.
As part of this, should Russia not de-escalate the UK will shortly introduce legislation which will, amongst other steps, prevent Russia from issuing sovereign debt on UK markets. Working with partners we will effectively be isolating Russia from the global economy, and making it far more difficult for oligarchs and businesses to operate outside their own borders.
First Minister: ‘Deep concern’ over actions of Russia in Ukraine
Statement from the First Minister
Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am deeply concerned by the actions of Russia and the disturbing reports of its invasion of Ukraine.
“The Scottish Government unreservedly condemns Russia’s actions, which are in flagrant violation of international law and which further destabilise an already volatile situation.
“The Scottish Government calls for an immediate cessation of such aggressive activities, with an assurance of the protection of all civilians within Ukraine.
“We offer our unqualified support for Ukrainian independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and to the people of Ukraine.
“We stand with members of the International Community in opposing Russian aggression, in demanding the most severe sanctions on Russia and in seeking to deter a further and wider invasion of Ukraine.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech at the Munich Security Conference 2022
Ambassador Ischinger, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s great to be here once again, after an absence of I think five years, at this very important security conference, which has helped to make this city a symbol of the unity of the West, of the strength of the Atlantic alliance and the vision of a Europe whole and free.
And at this moment of extreme danger for the world, it has seldom been more vital to preserve our unity and resolve, and that was the theme of my discussion last night with fellow leaders, including President Biden, President Macron, Chancellor Scholz and Prime Minister Draghi, as well as the leaders of NATO and the EU.
And as I said to President Putin during our last conversation, we in the UK still hope that diplomacy and dialogue may yet succeed.
But we also have to be unflinchingly honest about the situation today.
When over 130,000 Russian troops are gathering on the borders of Ukraine, and when more than 100 battalion tactical groups threaten that European country.
We must be united against that threat because we should be in no doubt what is at stake here.
If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic state, a country that has been free for a generation, with a proud history of elections.
And every time that Western ministers have visited Kyiv, we’ve assured the people of Ukraine and their leaders that we stand four-square behind their sovereignty and independence.
How hollow, how meaningless, how insulting those words would seem if – at the very moment when their sovereignty and independence is imperilled – we simply look away.
If Ukraine is invaded the shock will echo around the world and those echoes will be heard in East Asia and they will be heard in Taiwan.
When I spoke to the Prime Ministers of Japan and Australia this week, they left me in no doubt that the economic and political shocks would be felt on the far side of the world.
So let me be clear about the risk.
The risk now is that people will draw the conclusion that aggression pays and that might is right.
So we should not underestimate the gravity of this moment and what is at stake.
As I speak to you today, we do not fully know what President Putin intends but the omens are grim and that is why we must stand strong together.
The UK has worked with the European Union and the United States to put together the toughest and strongest package of sanctions, and I spoke recently to President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the measures prepared by the EU, in the closest coordination with our own.
And if Russia invades its neighbour, we will sanction Russian individuals and companies of strategic importance to the Russian state; and we will make it impossible for them to raise finance on the London capital markets; and we will open up the matryoshka dolls of Russian-owned companies and Russian-owned entities to find the ultimate beneficiaries within.
And if President Putin believes that by these actions he can drive NATO back or intimidate NATO, he will find that the opposite is the case.
Already the UK and our allies are strengthening the defences of the eastern flank of NATO.
We are increasing the British contribution to Exercise COLD RESPONSE by sending our newest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, and 3 Commando Brigade.
We are doubling our presence in Estonia to nearly 2,000 troops; we have increased our presence in Poland to 600 troops by sending 350 Marines from 45 Commando; we have increased our presence in the skies over south-eastern Europe with another six Typhoons based in Cyprus; we are sending warships to the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea; and I have placed another 1,000 troops on stand-by to respond to any humanitarian emergency, which we all fear is increasingly likely.
And while the most alarming and visible threat is the massing of Russian land forces on Ukraine’s borders, look at the naval build-up in the Black Sea, which threatens to blockade Ukraine; look at the massive cyber attacks and the incoming tide of disinformation.
This crisis extends into every domain, which is why the UK is providing NATO with more land, sea and air forces, and it is because we feared a crisis like this, that we were already engaged in the biggest increase in defence investment for a generation, spread across conventional capabilities and the new technologies that are ever more important to our collective defence.
And I’m proud to say that since Russia invaded Ukraine for the first time and annexed Crimea in 2014, we have been helping Ukraine, training 22,000 troops and, in recent months, in response to the threat, we have been among the nations to send defensive weaponry in the form of 2,000 anti-tank missiles.
I’m glad that we have been joined in this by the United States, by Poland and by our Baltic allies, and that many other nations and the EU have, like the UK, helped to strengthen Ukraine’s economy.
Britain will always stand up for freedom and democracy around the world, and when we say that our commitment to European security is immovable and unconditional, our deeds show that we mean our words.
We are making the biggest contribution to NATO of any European ally because we understand the importance of collective security, and just as our European friends stood by us after the Russian state used a chemical weapon in Salisbury, so Britain will stand by you.
But we must accept that even these measures by the UK and our allies: draconian sanctions, rinsing out dirty money, the intensification of NATO’s defences, fortifying our Ukrainian friends, they may not be enough to deter Russian aggression.
It is therefore vital that we learn the lessons of 2014.
Whatever happens in the next few days and weeks, we cannot allow European countries to be blackmailed by Russia, we cannot allow the threat of Russian aggression to change the security architecture of Europe, we cannot permit a new Yalta or a new division of our continent into spheres of influence.
We must now wean ourselves off dependence on Putin’s oil and gas.
I understand the costs and complexities of this effort and the fact this is easier said than done, so I am grateful for Chancellor Scholz’s assurances about Nord Stream 2, but the lessons of the last few years, and of Gazprom’s obvious manipulation of European gas supply, cannot be ignored.
We must ensure that by making full use of alternative suppliers and technology, we make Russia’s threats redundant.
That will be the work of the months and years to come, as well as the necessary and overdue steps that we in the UK must take to protect our own financial system.
And now we need to prepare ourselves for the Russian playbook of deception that governs every operation of this kind.
There will be a cascade of false claims about Ukraine, intended to spread confusion almost for its own sake,
and even now there are plans being laid for staged events, spinning a web of falsehoods designed to present any Russian attack as a response to provocation.
We’ve already witnessed a fake military withdrawal, combined with staged incidents that could provide a pretext for military action.
We knew this was coming, we’ve seen it before – and no-one should be fooled.
And we have to steel ourselves for the possibility of a protracted crisis, with Russia maintaining the pressure and searching for weaknesses over an extended period, and we must together refuse to be worn down.
What Europe needs is strategic endurance, and we should focus our energies on preserving our unity and on deepening trans-Atlantic cooperation.
But for that to work, we must also be prepared to devote the necessary resources to carry a greater share of the burden of preserving our continent’s security, and to demonstrate that we are in it for the long haul.
For now, we should continue to do everything we can to pursue the path of peace and dialogue.
There is a way forward, if President Putin is minded to take it: there is a discussion to be had about the threats that he claims to see because in reality as we all know, those threats are an illusion.
They are the product of the Kremlin’s chronic but misguided view of NATO as a supposedly encircling and intimidating alliance.
This is not NATO’s function: NATO is a peaceful and defensive alliance and we are willing to work with President Putin to demonstrate that point and to give him the reassurances that he may need.
We could point out that until he invaded Ukraine for the first time in 2014, NATO did not permanently station any troops anywhere east of Germany and it was as recently as 2017 that the US, the UK and other NATO allies established the “enhanced forward presence” to protect Poland and the Baltic states.
Even then, the total deployment of fewer than 5,000 troops posed no conceivable threat to Russia, and it is only in the last few weeks, in response to the current crisis, that we have dispatched reinforcements, though still in numbers that constitute no possible threat.
Until 2014, European allies were cutting their defence budgets and shrinking their armed forces, perhaps faster than was safe or wise.
And to the extent that this has changed it is because of the actions of President Putin and the tension he has created.
If NATO forces are now closer to Russia’s border, it is in response to his decisions and the justified concerns they have provoked among our allies.
And there are many things said about what may or may not have been said in the closed-door meetings of three decades ago, as the Berlin wall fell and Germany reunited.
But there is no doubt that we all agreed legal obligations to protect the security of every country in Europe.
And what happened in those amazing years was the dissolution of the Iron Curtain and the fulfilment of the vision of a Europe whole and free, it was one of the most incredible moments of my lifetime.
As nations at the heart of our continent regained their liberty, and their sovereign right to control their own destiny and seek their own alliances.
We will not abandon the hope and impulse of that era, made possible by the courage of millions of ordinary Europeans.
That is why NATO opened its doors to 14 states after 1999, and we cannot allow our open door to be slammed shut.
But if dialogue fails and if Russia chooses to use violence against an innocent and peaceful population in Ukraine, and to disregard the norms of civilised behaviour between states, and to disregard the Charter of the United Nations, then we at this conference should be in no doubt that it is in our collective interest that Russia should ultimately fail and be seen to fail.
I believe that in preparing to invade Ukraine, a proud country whose armed forces now exceed 200,000 personnel, considerably more expert in combat today than in 2014, President Putin and his circle are gravely miscalculating.
I fear that a lightning war would be followed by a long and hideous period of reprisals and revenge and insurgency, and Russian parents would mourn the loss of young Russian soldiers, who in their way are every bit as innocent as the Ukrainians now bracing themselves for attack.
And if Ukraine is overrun by brute force, I fail to see how a country encompassing nearly a quarter of a million square miles – the biggest nation in Europe apart from Russia itself could then be held down and subjugated forever.
After a generation of freedom, we’re now staring at a generation of bloodshed and misery.
I believe that Russia would have absolutely nothing to gain from this catastrophic venture and everything to lose, and while there is still time, I urge the Kremlin to de-escalate, to disengage its forces from the frontier and to renew our dialogue.
Every nation at this conference shares a vision of a secure and prosperous Europe of sovereign states, deciding their own destiny and living without fear or threat.
And that vision of course extends to Russia, a nation whose cultural patrimony we revere, and whose sacrifice in the struggle against fascism was immeasurable.
Russia has as much right as any other country to live in peace and security, and we should never cease to emphasise that Russia has nothing to fear from our vision, which threatens and marginalises no-one.
And as we come together in unity and resolve, we must also show wisdom and moderation, because it is precisely by that unity that we show today that we have the best chance even now, at this 11th hour, of averting disaster and ensuring that good sense can still prevail.
And it is that message of unity that we must send from this conference today.
Prime Minister travels to Germany today for the Munich Security Conference
Prime Minister will address Munich Security Conference on the importance of Western unity
While in Germany he will meet world leaders to discuss current tensions
Visit comes as allies warn that an invasion of Ukraine could take place at any moment
The Prime Minister will travel to Germany today (Saturday) for discussions with European allies amid increasing concern about the likelihood of a further Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This week the build-up of forces has continued despite Russian claims to the contrary, with 7,000 more troops arriving on Ukraine’s border in recent days. The UK and other allies have warned that military action could take place at any moment and without warning.
At the Munich Security Conference the Prime Minister will deliver a speech calling on allies to stay united in the face of Russian hostility. He will remind partners that, while there is still time to persuade President Putin to stand down Russian troops, the only prospect for this is if the western world speaks with one voice to dissuade and deter.
While in Munich, the Prime Minister will also meet a number of European partners to discuss the current response. In recent days the Prime Minister has spoken to the leaders of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Japan, Australia and elsewhere about the ongoing crisis.
The Prime Minister said: “There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history.
“Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine. Diplomacy can still prevail.
“That is the message I will take to Munich today as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.”
The Munich Security Conference is the world’s largest annual gathering of international leaders and foreign policy experts. When the Prime Minister addressed the conference last year he warned that countries like Russia who seek to act with ‘reckless abandon’ to harm our people must be met with the ‘immovable rock of trans-Atlantic solidarity’.
One year on, the Prime Minister will reiterate that message both in his speech to the conference and in meetings with world leaders.
