Chancellor confirms that the UK stands ready to guarantee up to $50 million for further financing to Ukraine to continue electricity provision during latest G7 meeting in Germany.
Rishi Sunak also discussed how global partners can continue to work together to soften the war’s impact on the global economy
He will also urge G7 counterparts to maintain momentum behind and deliver the historic agreement on global tax reform – ensuring companies pay their fair share of tax in the countries in which they operate.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has confirmed that the UK stands ready to guarantee up to $50 million for further financing to Ukraine, to help ensure the continued provision of electricity to its citizens.
The Chancellor attended meetings with G7 partners yesterday and will continue to do so today, alongside the Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey.
They discussed efforts to support Ukraine and the ways in which the war is adding to pressures on the global economy, including impacts on the cost of living in the UK.
Yesterday Rishi Sunak announced the UK’s commitment to guarantee $50million, of further financing to Ukraine from the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, which is headquartered in London.
This comes on top of the $950m in loan guarantees that the UK has already committed to significantly scale up World Bank lending to the Government of Ukraine to help meet urgent fiscal needs.
This guarantee will be used by the EBRD to provide further financing to the Ukrainian electricity grid operator, Ukrenergo to support continued provision of electricity to the brave Ukrainian people, subject to approval by Parliament.
This funding forms part of the significant economic, humanitarian and military support the UK has committed to Ukraine, totalling well over $3 billion.
The Chancellor also discussed the shared challenges facing the global economy, including the rising cost of living globally, and the acute challenges faced by developing economies including heightened food insecurity.
He pushed his partners in the G7 to ensure that the sanctions announced so far are being urgently implemented and strongly enforced to exert maximum cost on Putin and his regime.
Ahead of the meetings, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “I remain steadfast with my G7 partners in standing with Ukraine. I am pleased to confirm up to $50million in UK guarantees for EBRD critical support in Ukraine. This will help Ukraine continue to provide electricity to its citizens as they fight for their freedom.
“It’s clear that Putin’s barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine has not only had a devastating humanitarian impact on Ukraine; it is also causing significant disruption to the global economy, the impacts of which are being felt across the G7, including here at home in the UK.”
“I am determined to work with my G7 partners to confront these shared challenges.”
Today, the Chancellor will also call for progress on the implementation of the international tax agreement that was struck last year during the UK’s presidency of the G7.
This historic global tax reform will ensure companies pay their fair share of tax in the countries in which they operate. In Bonn, the Chancellor will encourage his partners to maintain momentum and collaborate to deliver on the agreement as swiftly as possible.
The Attorney General led a delegation of war crimes experts in Poland yesterday as part of the UK’s support for Ukraine’s investigations into Russian atrocities
The Attorney General, Suella Braverman QC MP, visited Ukraine yesterday and met with Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Iryna Venediktova. She also led a delegation of war crimes experts in Poland as part of the UK’s support for Ukraine’s investigations into Russian atrocities.
The delegation included Sir Howard Morrison QC, who the Attorney appointed as an independent adviser to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office in March. This follows the Foreign Secretary’s announcement (29 April) that the UK would deploy a team of war crimes experts to support Ukraine’s investigations.
As part of the visit, the Attorney met the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Iryna Venediktova, to discuss what more the UK can do to support her work to bring war criminals to justice.
At the meeting, the Attorney heard first-hand about Ukrainian evidence-gathering processes, their plans to prosecute individuals for war crimes in their national courts, and their collaboration with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Commenting on the visit, the Attorney General, Suella Braverman QC MP, said: “Russia has brought barbarity to Ukraine and committed vile atrocities, including against women.
“I am pleased to have led the UK delegation of war crimes experts to Ukraine and to have met those leading Ukraine’s journey to justice, including the indefatigable Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova.
“I am determined that British expertise will help Iryna and her team to uncover the truth and hold Putin’s regime to account for its actions. Justice will be done.
Commenting on the Attorney General’s visit, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said: “While courts around the world are working to hold Russia accountable, the bulk of the investigation – and the largest number of prosecutions – will be done by Ukraine itself.
“I am grateful for the UK’s help and to Attorney General Braverman for visiting Ukraine to show her personal support for bringing every perpetrator to justice.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will underline Scotland’s key interests in global issues when she visits the United States next week.
The visit follows the launch of Scotland’s Global Affairs Framework, which sets out the values, principles and priorities underpinning the Scottish Government’s work to become more active internationally.
Reflecting on the impacts of Brexit, COVID-19, the climate crisis and the invasion of Ukraine, the Framework outlines key areas of focus such as global citizenship, maintaining close relations with the EU, gender equality, and respect for human rights.
The First Minister will take part in a range of engagements focused on the interlinked issues of climate, energy security and the war in Ukraine, including a keynote speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC.
She will also meet with key congressional groups and discuss ways to create a greener, fairer and more equitable economy with executives of companies operating across the Atlantic.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The COVID-19 pandemic and the climate and biodiversity emergencies prove in the starkest possible way that we live in an interconnected world and it is more important than ever that Scotland plays its part.
“The crisis in Ukraine underlines how interconnected these challenges are, and all countries have a role to play in meeting them.
“We are determined that Scotland continues to be a good global citizen, making a constructive contribution to addressing global challenges such as climate change.
“Our international activity creates opportunities at home, broadens our horizons, attracts high-quality investment and ultimately benefits our people – no more evident than in Scotland’s longstanding relationship and strong trade ties with the USA, which this visit will build upon further.
“By being open and connected and making a positive contribution internationally, we give ourselves the greatest possible chance of building a successful country. In this way we can make a contribution to the world that is welcomed, valued and helps us all.”
“I was HOOKED after the third page! Literally even text my better half to say I wasn’t going to be able to put it down!” Review MorellisReads
In 1971, Nan Douglas and her toddler twins arrived on the remote island of Inniscuiilin, the long-lost family of the eccentric Miss Campbell.
For fifteen years, they all live quietly up at the Big House until the twins start planning their future – forcing Nan to confront their past.Because someone somewhere believes that the twins aren’t twins.
That they’re not even Nan’s children. And that Nan isn’t Nan.Only Nan herself can prove them wrong – but it’s a gamble. Win or lose, she’s still at risk of losing her beloved family …
Gill Merton is the collective pen name for five local writers, based at Gilmerton Community Centre on Drum Street in Edinburgh.
Please come along to hear readings from the novel and hear what it has been like to write collaboratively … copies of the book witll be available by donation, all proceeds to Ukraine.
Publication generously funded by the National Lottery Awards For All.
The UK has confirmed £1.3 billion new funding for military operations and aid to Ukraine, this comes on top of the UK’s existing £1.5bn support to Ukraine, which included around £400 million in humanitarian aid and grants to the Ukrainian government, and unlocking over £700 million in lending from the World Bank through guarantees.
Prime Minister will attend virtual G7 meeting to discuss support for Ukraine, including provision of defensive legal aid
This comes on top of the £24 billion increase in defence spending announced in 2020, the biggest sustained increase in UK defence since the Cold War
The Chancellor today confirms £1.3 billion to meet the ongoing costs of military support to Ukraine during this financial year.
This is the highest rate of UK military spending on a conflict, since the height of the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan when 43,000 UK troops were deployed, and the sum spent supporting Ukraine continues to rise as the conflict endures.
The announcement comes as the Prime Minister and other G7 leaders meet virtually with President Zelenskyy today [Sunday], to mark VE day and discuss support for Ukraine’s long-term future as a sovereign and democratic country, including defensive lethal aid.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced £300 million for electronic warfare equipment, a counter battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment and thousands of night vision devices – this will be funded from the £1.3bn increase.
This announcement will also help support the thriving defence industry in the UK. The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary will host a meeting of leading defence companies later this month to discuss ramping up production in response to increased demand created by the conflict in Ukraine and a global shift away from Russian-made weaponry.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Putin’s brutal attack is not only causing untold devastation in Ukraine – it is also threatening peace and security across Europe.
“The UK was the first country to recognise the scale of the threat and send arms to help the Ukrainians defend themselves. We will stand by that endeavour, working with our allies to ensure Ukraine can continue to push back the Russian invasion and survive as a free and democratic country.
“In the process, we are bolstering our own security and economy, turbocharging the development and production of cutting-edge defence equipment here in the UK.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The situation in Ukraine continues to cause immense suffering with every day bringing new, tragic stories of Putin’s brutality.
“We are unwavering in our support for the people of Ukraine – and this extra £1.3 billion will ensure we continue to provide the necessary military and operational support they need to defend themselves against Putin.
“The UK is at the forefront providing economic, humanitarian and defensive support to Ukraine and we are working tirelessly to bring an end to this conflict.”
The additional £1.3 billion comes from the Reserve – funds the UK Government has set aside for the most pressing emergencies. This latest commitment, announced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak today, is in addition to the UK’s current package that totals well over £1.5billion.
The support already provided includes around £400million in humanitarian aid and grants and unlocking over £700m in additional World Bank lending through loan guarantees.
The UK government is also supporting Ukrainian refugees fleeing the crisis through the Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family Scheme. So far more than 86,000 people have been given visas through the scheme, and more than 27,000 have already arrived in the UK.
The Integrated Review of Foreign and Defence policy resulted in the largest boost to defence in a generation, with an additional £24 billion allocated over four years to allow our armed forces to undertake a modernisation programme to reflect a rapidly changing world with emerging threats.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed a ‘Brave Ukraine’ event hosted by the Ukrainian Embassy in London last night
He told guests: Thank you very much, what an honour to speak after my friend Volodymyr Zelenskyy, truly one of the most incredible leaders of modern times.
What a blessing for Ukraine and for the world, and what a disaster for Putin that he should now be leading Ukraine in Kyiv.
It is almost exactly 80 years ago, 1942, that the BBC first broadcast Shostakovich’s Leningrad symphony to the world. This was played by a half-starving orchestra during the siege of Leningrad, while it was being pounded by the Nazis, and that symphony became a symbol of resistance to fascism, and the power of the human spirit.
I do not know whether Vladimir Putin is a Shostakovich buff or not, but is it not a tragic irony that a Russian leader, himself from Leningrad, should now be laying waste to cities in Ukraine as Volodymyr has just described.
Starving civilians, bombarding their homes, driving them underground, forcing families to huddle together in cellars, or as we have seen, in that giant steel plant in Mariupol.
But no matter what Putin tries to do to Ukraine’s people, what the exhibition that we are opening tonight shows, is that he will never break their spirit.
He will never overcome those indomitable armed forces, who have already repelled the Russian army from the gates of Kyiv, and therefore achieved the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century.
That is why I’m more certain than ever that Ukraine will win. Ukraine will be free, and a sovereign Ukraine will rise again.
And it’s because this struggle is so clear cut, and without any moral ambiguity that I can see, a struggle between freedom and oppression, between democracy and tyranny, independence and imperialism, light and darkness, good and evil, that is why I think it speaks so deeply to us.
That is why here in the UK, you can see blue and yellow flags flying everywhere, from town halls and church spires and front gardens and children’s playgrounds, and we in the United Kingdom, of every political party, all backgrounds, we are proud to be friends of Ukraine.
When Russian troops were massing on the frontiers of Ukraine in January, we were among the first European countries to send anti-tank missiles. I want you to know, and I told Volodymyr this earlier on today in our conversation, we will continue to intensify this effort for as long as Ukraine wants and needs our help.
And it is precisely because the Ukrainian people refused to surrender and precisely because they resisted so heroically that their suffering today is so severe.
Putin has driven at least one Ukrainian in every four from their homes, including two thirds of all Ukrainian children.
And just as we must help Ukraine to defend herself against aggression, so we must also do everything we can ease the terrible burden of suffering imposed on an innocent people.
Let me conclude by saying: take part in today’s charity auction. Whether you are bidding for Volodymyr’s fleece – a snip at £50,000, I want much higher bids than that, or you are bidding for a tour of Kyiv with Mayor Klitschko, I have had a tour of Kyiv with Mayor Klitschko, it’s a beautiful city. Well worth it, dig deep.
Support Ukraine tonight my friends so that that great ancient European capital Kyiv can never be threatened again, and that Ukraine can be whole and free once more.
Maggie Tookey, a 71 year old volunteer with Edinburgh Direct Aid (EDA), is currently in Ukraine.
She has just returned to Lviv, having teamed up with Norwegian and Ukrainian volunteers to make a long and difficult trip to Kremenchuk and Kharkiv in north east Ukraine.
In Kharkiv, they delivered thyroxin & wound dressings to a hospital in the west of the city; they were lucky as the heavy shelling at that time was in the north of the city. In Kremenchuk, they brought food to traumatised displaced people from Kharkiv.
Maggie says it is the stories of the elderly that she finds particularly distressing – just as she did when helping elderly victims of the Syrian conflict in recent years: “forced not only to witness death taking place in front of them but also knowing that the final years of their lives may never be spent in their own homes again”.
This is her story …
THE FIRST WEEK IN UKRAINE BEGINNING 24th APRIL 2022
So it’s one week since arriving in Ukraine to begin EDA’s third session in this embattled but extremely resiliant country.
The resistance goes on and just about the whole world is here trying to support that resistance. Still there is the belief from all the displaced Ukranians I meet through our EDA distribution programme, that Ukraine simply can’t lose this war. We can only hope that they’re right.
I’m now in Kremenchuk in Poltava region – central/eastern Ukraine and probably considered the first reasonably safe place reachable from the hell of Kharkiv, around 200km away. We arrived here – ‘we’ being Ira, our constant translator and ‘fixer’ and Knut, our big gentle Norwegian driver with his rusty but trusty Sprinter van, late on Friday night. The journey was long and took us 2 days of fairly non stop driving.
The van is like a Tardis. It just seems to keep holding more and more valuable aid so we just kept filling it until finally Knut said enough! It was overloaded but he thought it would be OK and it was. The last item we loaded as a special request was 150 civilian body bags to help with the numbers of dead in the badly hit city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. It was a sobering request but we had the space so we were able to help – why wouldn’t we? The bags would be taken onto Kharkiv from Kremenchuk.
The first portion of the journey was fine – fast on good roads and enough fuel stations to keep the tank topped up even though we were rationed to 20 litres.
The second part of the journey which was around a 1000km in total because of diversions for damaged roads etc, was far more challenging – some of it was ‘off road’ and the rest was over the most pot holed surfaces I’ve ever experienced.
It was so bad that we kept losing various fixtures and fittings off the van – the jarring was endless and exhausting but the main problem was the scarcity of diesel. We begged and pleaded but the little fuel available was reserved for emergency and military vehicles and not even to humble volunteer bringers of aid.
We had bought more fuel containers so could carry around 80 litres of diesel but these were the reserve. We needed to keep the tank reasonably full. On one occasion we were allowed up to the front of the queue but one time we sneaked in through the ‘no entry’ route on the advice of a local and came to a pump facing the queue. Smiling broadly and constantly and looking dim works wonders as does Ira our translator who probably sheltered us from much Ukranian swearing.
Kremenchuk is a small city of around 75,000 but 22,000 Internally Displaced people have arrived in the city since the beginning of this month. It’s a typical Soviet style place – mostly large blocks of flats and 70% of its population speak Russian. Most of the displaced have fled from Kharkiv and as ever, there are some terrible stories.
The distribution has taken two different pathways. We were supplying the increasing number of IDP shelters springing up out of necessity around the city – the pressure on the Municipality is great so every aid shipment is important.
We were able to unload into a big store room here and sort out what is needed for each shelter working with the local volunteer coordinator as our guide.
The second pathway involved working with the local priest who helps many individual families in his ‘parish’, listing their needs and passing these on to anyone who might be able to help. We were royally treated by the priest and his family – they were a delight. We were hugely over fed! Once again the admiration for these volunteers and the support they try to bring to their communities is admirable.
Food shortages cause problems for all in Ukraine and although these local volunteers are not enduring constant rocket attacks like Kharkiv and other places, the deprivations of war are suffered by all.
Once again the terrible stories are told when we visit the IDP’s in the shelters. Most here are from Kharkiv, some from Donetsk and the Donbas.
They are all distressing stories but perhaps none more so than by the elderly who are forced not only to witness death take place in front of them but know that the final years of their lives may never be spent in their own homes again. I find these the hardest to deal with.
One lady of 85, Varanella, from a rural village near Luhanske, came face to face with a Russian soldier when he entered her house as she was trying to escape.
He pointed his gun at her chest ready to shoot – terrified she turned and ran into the toilet but he opened fire on her fleeing back -somehow he missed and she bolted the door but he continued firing – the bullets only partially penetrated the metal door and thick walls – she cowered in terror and finally he seemed to get bored and went off to some other house but not before trashing the inside of hers.
She stayed there until dark and then managed to get help escaping from the village to a safer town and onto Kremenchuk. She cried constantly through the telling of this story, still reliving the horror of what happened. Many of her elderly neighbours were not so lucky. She was severely traumatised.
So now she has safety, warmth, support, companionship, and food – what she doesn’t have is her beloved home and this is the greatest wish for all those I met in Kremenchuk. We spent 4 days around the shelters and individual families distributing a lot of aid but mostly we talked.
I seemed to represent some symbol of hope to them but I felt a fraud. In the end what can I do – listen and hug!
UPDATE: THURSDAY 5th MAY
EDA is just back late last night from Kharkiv very close to the Russian border and a very dangerous place to be. There is constant shelling in some parts of the city and many have died there.
I was part of a larger food and medical aid delivery by the Ukraine Guardian Angels group – all volunteers just like us.
EDA was delivering much needed Thyroxin and eye medication and wound dressings. We were pleased to complete the job safely.
EDA and its team had also just completed a 4 day distribution of urgent food and hygiene goods in the small city of Kremenchuk, in Central/eastern Ukraine.
The city and its fantastic local Ukrainian teams of volunteers are now under huge pressure to offer shelter to over 22,000 displaced and traumatised people who have fled Kharkiv and other Eastern cities being flattened by constant Russian shelling.
Edinburgh Direct Aid does what it can but it can only do what the funding allows. We need delivery transport, food and medical supplies. These are the basics. If we get help with these we can DELIVER. We are now back in Lviv taking a breather!
The Edinburgh Direct Aid Ukraine Relief Fund, which supports Maggie’s work, can be found at:
£45 million in UK funding confirmed for UN and humanitarian organisations working in Ukraine and the region
Support will protect the most vulnerable, including women and children, both in Ukraine and fleeing the conflict
Further UK medical equipment, food and other urgent lifesaving aid to be delivered in coming weeks
A package of UK support will help reach the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced today.
United Nations (UN) agencies and charities working on the ground to provide care, support and protection for those in Ukraine and at its borders will receive £45 million in UK funding, as part of a wider package of support.
Nearly 16 million people are reported to be in need of humanitarian assistance within Ukraine. Over five million refugees have arrived in European countries since the conflict started, making it the fastest-growing refugee crisis since the Second World War.
Women and children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and harm. Of the £45 million, £15 million will go to the UN Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), to provide immediate life-saving assistance and help tackle sexual and gender-based violence through targeted services, legal support and crisis accommodation.
A further £15m will go to UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, to fund vital services like nutrition for pregnant women and mental health support for children.
The Foreign Secretary is also announcing today that the UK will provide further deliveries of medical supplies, on top of more than five million items already delivered, including wound care packs to treat over 220,000 patients and around 380,000 packs of medicine.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “Britain has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine throughout this conflict. As one of the largest humanitarian donors we will continue to make sure those bearing the brunt of Putin’s vile war have the lifesaving aid they need.
“British aid is supporting the most vulnerable in Ukraine, particularly women and children, who are facing increased risk of sexual violence and exploitation.”
These latest allocations mean the UK’s full £220 million package of support has now been committed to governments and partners to deliver support in Ukraine and the surrounding region.
Following a request from the Government of Ukraine, the UK has already committed up to £2 million in vital food supplies like dried food, tinned goods and water to areas of Ukraine encircled by Russian forces. Seventeen trucks of food with over 50,000kg of pasta, 10,000kg of rice, 60,000 tins of corned beef and over 80,000 litres of water have already been delivered.
The UK has already tripled its humanitarian support to Poland, providing £30 million to ensure vital supplies reach those in need, both inside Ukraine and those fleeing the conflict.
We are also playing a critical role providing expert assistance to countries bordering Ukraine. The UK is deploying a specialist team to Poland to assist the Ukrainian government with gathering evidence and prosecuting war crimes, including experts in conflict-related sexual violence.
Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said: “The war in Ukraine has caused immense human suffering and as always, the highest price is paid by civilians.
“This generous contribution from the United Kingdom will enable the UN’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund to scale up the delivery of fast, effective and life-saving aid to people who are caught up in this unfolding nightmare.
“Managed in-country, the Fund is uniquely positioned to support partners, including front-line local and national NGOs, providing an agile response to the fast changing needs on the ground.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the Ukrainian Parliament yesterday:
President Zelenskyy, Mr Chairman, members of the Verkhovna Rada. It is a big honour for me to address you at this crucial moment in history and I salute the courage with which you are meeting, the way you have continued to meet, in spite of a barbaric onslaught on your freedoms
Day after day missiles and bombs continue to rain on the innocent people of Ukraine
In the south and the east of your wonderful country, Putin continues with his grotesque and illegal campaign to take and hold Ukrainian soil
And his soldiers no longer have the excuse of not knowing what they are doing
They are committing war crimes, and their atrocities emerge wherever they are forced to retreat – as we’ve seen at Bucha, at Irpin at Hostomel and many other places
We in the UK will do whatever we can to hold them to account for these war crimes
and in this moment of uncertainty, of continuing fear and doubt
I have one message for you today:
Ukraine will win
Ukraine will be free
And I tell you why I believe you will succeed, members of the Rada
When they came to me last year, and they said that the evidence was now overwhelming that Putin was planning an invasion
and we could see his Battalion Tactical Groups – well over 100 of them – gathering on the border
I also, I remember a sense of horror but also of puzzlement.
Because I had been to Kyiv on previous visits – and I actually met some of you and I had stood in the Maidan and seen the tributes to those who had given their lives to protect Ukraine against Russian aggression
and I’ve wandered the lovely streets of your capital
and I’ve seen enough about Ukrainian freedom to know that the Kremlin was making a fundamental miscalculation, a terrible mistake
and I told anyone I knew, anyone who would listen that Ukraine would fight and Ukraine would be right
and yet there were some who believed the Kremlin propaganda that Russian armour would be like an irresistible force going like a knife through butter, and that Kyiv would fall within days
Do you remember they said that? And people rang Volodymyr and offered him safe passage out of the country, and he said – no thanks
and that this Rada of yours would have to be reformed outside Ukraine maybe in Poland or even in London perhaps
and I refused to believe it.
And today you have proved them completely wrong, every one of those military experts who said Ukraine would fall
Your farmers kidnapped Russian tanks with their tractors
Your pensioners told Russian soldiers to hop as we say, although they may have used more colourful language
Even in the parts of Ukraine that were temporarily captured, your populations, your indomitable populations turned out to protest, day after day
And though your soldiers were always outnumbered – three to one it is now – they fought with the energy and courage of lions
You have beaten them back from Kyiv
You have exploded the myth of Putin’s invincibility and you have written one of the most glorious chapters in military history and in the life of your country.
The so-called irresistible force of Putin’s war machine has broken on the immoveable object of Ukrainian patriotism and love of country.
This is Ukraine’s finest hour, that will be remembered and recounted for generations to come.
Your children and grandchildren will say that Ukrainians taught the world that the brute force of an aggressor counts for nothing against the moral force of a people determined to be free.
They will say that Ukrainians proved by their tenacity and sacrifice that tanks and guns cannot suppress a nation fighting for its independence,
and that is why I believe that Ukraine will win
You have proved the old saying – it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog – which is an old English saying, I’m not sure how well that translates in Ukrainian but you get what I’m trying to say.
And as you turned the Russian army back from the gates of Kyiv, you not only accomplished the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century, you achieved something deeper and perhaps equally significant. You exposed Putin’s historic folly, the gigantic error that only an autocrat can make.
Because when a leader rules by fear, rigs elections, jails critics, gags the media, and listens just to sycophants,
when there is no limit on his power = that is when he makes catastrophic mistakes.
And it is precisely because we understand this danger in Britain and in Ukraine – precisely because we are democracies, and because we have a free media, the rule of law, free elections and robust parliaments, such as your own,
we know that these are the best protections against the perils of arbitrary power.
When an autocrat deliberately destroys these institutions,he might look as though he is strong and some people might even believe it,
but he is sowing the seeds of catastrophe, for himself and for his country,
because there will be nothing to prevent him committing another terrible mistake Putin’s mistake was to invade Ukraine, and the carcasses of Russian armour littering your fields and streets are monuments not only to his folly, but to the dangers of autocracy itself.
What he has done is an advertisement for democracy.
On a day when Putin thought he would be in charge of Kyiv, I had the honour of being able to visit your wonderful city,
and I saw the defiance of the people of Ukraine,
I know so much about the terrible price that Ukrainians have paid and are paying for your heroism.
Today, at least one Ukrainian in every four has been driven from their homes, and it is a horrifying fact that two thirds of all Ukrainian children are now refugees, whether inside the country or elsewhere.
So no outsider like me can speak lightly about how the conflict could be settled, if only Ukraine would relinquish this or that piece or territory or we find some compromise for Vladimir Putin.
We know what happens to the people left in the in clutches of this invader.
And we who are your friends must be humble about what happened in in 2014,
because Ukraine was invaded before for the first time, when Crimea was taken from Ukraine and the war in the Donbas began
The truth is that we were too slow to grasp what was really happening and we collectively failed to impose the sanctions then that we should have put on Vladimir Putin.
We cannot make the same mistake again.
And it is precisely because of your valour your courage your sacrifice that Ukrainians now control your own destiny: you are the masters of your fate, and no-one can or should impose anything on Ukrainians.
We in the UK will be guided by you and we are proud to be your friends,
I am proud to say our Ambassador, Melinda Simmons, is back in Kyiv to reopen our embassy.
In January of course– just before Putin launched his onslaught – we sent you planeloads of anti-tank missiles, the NLAWS which I think have become popular in Kyiv,
and we have intensified that vital effort, working with dozens of countries, helping to coordinate this ever- bigger supply line, dispatching thousands of weapons of many kinds, including tanks now and armoured vehicles.
In the coming weeks, we in the UK will send you Brimstone anti-ship missiles and Stormer anti-aircraft systems.
We are providing armoured vehicles to evacuate civilians from areas under attack and protect officials – what Volodymyr mentioned to me in our most recent call – while they maintain critical infrastructure.
And I can announce today from the UK government a new package of support totalling £300 million, including radars to pinpoint the artillery bombarding your cities, heavy lift drones to supply your forces, and thousands of night vision devices.
We will carry on supplying Ukraine, alongside your other friends, with weapons, funding and humanitarian aid, until we have achieved our long-term goal, which must be so to fortify Ukraine that no-one will ever dare to attack you again.
Here in the UK, in my country, you will see Ukrainian flags flying from church spires and in shop windows. You see Ukrainian ribbons on the lapels of people up and down the country.
There are many reasons your country has evoked such astonishing sympathy in the British people.
It is a conflict that has no moral ambiguities or no grey areas.
This is about the right of Ukrainians to protect themselves against Putin’s violent and murderous aggression
It is about Ukraine’s right to independence and national self-determination, against Putin’s deranged imperialist revanchism
It is about Ukrainian democracy against Putin’s tyranny
It is about freedom versus oppression
It is about right versus wrong
It is about good versus evil
And that is why Ukraine must win
And when we look at the heroism of the Ukrainian people and the bravery of your leader Volodomyr Zelenskyy – we know that Ukraine will win
And we in the UK will do everything we can to restore a free sovereign and independent Ukraine
Thank you all very much for listening to me today, and slava Ukraini!
Radio ENRG is delighted to present the return of its annual 24-hour Charity Broadcast Extravaganza, with funds raised going to support those affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Student journalists at Edinburgh Napier University will be on air from 12pm on Wednesday 4th May right through until noon on Thursday.
A range of dynamic and exciting shows will keep listeners entertained right through the night, with dedicated slots for musical lovers, indie fans and dance ravers.
There will also be special quizzes, live phone-ins and fierce debate, all produced by current journalism students.
Radio ENRG’s sister websites will also contribute to the broadcast, with political discussion from ENRG Debrief and all sporting needs catered for by the team at the award-winning ENRG Sport.
This will be the first time since 2019 that Radio ENRG has been able to hold its annual charity broadcast, due to the pandemic.
Students raised £625 for Endo Warriors West, a charity supporting women with endometriosis, in the most recent edition of the 24-hour charity broadcast.
This year’s event has been organised by ENRG Editor Seán McGill and Radio ENRG Station Managers Jessica Matthewson and Arran Proctor.
All four year groups will be represented on the event, with some fourth year students using it as a way to bow out of their radio shows ahead of their graduation.
Editor of ENRG, Seán McGill, said: “The decision to send this year’s money to Ukraine was an easy one. By the time the 24-hour broadcast is live, we’ll have passed 70 days since Russia’s invasion began, and more and more people are suffering every day because of it.
“Being on the radio is great fun, but if we, as a group of students, can also do some good while being on air, we see that as a real privilege.”
Co-Station Manager, Jessica Matthewson, said: “Due to the pandemic, we have been unable to conduct our annual charity broadcast for the last two years.
“We’re all so excited to be back in the studio this year, especially due to the fact that we are raising money for such a worthy cause.”
Co-Station Manager, Arran Proctor, said: “Radio ENRG is an amazing source of gaining skills in broadcast journalism. Doing this charity broadcast means that student journalists are advancing their talents for good!”
A social media team will be working hard throughout the night, taking song requests and posting updates at @RadioENRG.
Radio ENRG’s Charity Broadcast Extravaganza will be live from 12pm-12pm tomorrow (Wednesday 4th May into Thursday 5th May) on the Radio ENRG website radioenrg.net.
