On Tuesday, 1st March I took sanctions measures against Russia through the House of Commons on behalf of the British Government in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a shocking outrage.
The UK is leading the way in response and earlier this month NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised “the leading role” the UK is playing “both diplomatically and militarily” regarding the crisis in Ukraine.
The UK was the first country to send arms to Ukraine to help them defend themselves. Now many countries are rightly doing so.
The UK also led the way in blocking Russian aviation from our airspace and many other countries have followed suit.
The UK has led the way in the amount of money and financial aid we have sent to Ukraine.
The UK also led the way on system-wide sanctions, including calling on other countries to block Russia from the financial payment system known as SWIFT.
On sanctions against individuals, the Prime Minister has announced sanctions against wealthy individuals and banks with heavy connections to Vladimir Putin and the Russian state.
These sanctions are amongst the strongest ever imposed and are only the beginning of the measures this government and its western allies have taken and will take against Putin and his regime. On Thursday, 24th February more sanctions were announced by the Prime Minister following a call with leaders of the G7.
Countries that together comprise about 50% of the world economy are now engaged in maximising economic pressure on Russia, which itself makes up 2% of the world economy.
The UK has announced the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen. With new financial measures we are taking new powers to target Russian finance. In addition to the banks we have already sanctioned this week, in concert with the United States, we are imposing a full asset freeze on their second largest bank, VTB.
Overall, we are imposing asset freezes on more than 100 new entities and individuals, on top of the hundreds that we have already announced. This includes all the major manufacturers that support Putin’s war machine. Russian state and private companies will also be banned from raising funds in the UK.
Additionally, on top of these financial measures and in full concert with the United States and the EU, we have introduced new trade restrictions and stringent export controls similar to those that they are implementing in the US. We have new legislation to ban the export of all dual-use items to Russia, including a range of high-end and critical technological equipment and components in sectors including electronics, telecommunications and aerospace. Legislation to implement this will be laid in the Commons. These trade sanctions will constrain Russia’s military-industrial and technological capabilities for years to come.
I have outlined these sanctions briefly, however these are just a few examples of the measures this government has imposed on Russia. It is also important to note that these harsh sanctions are a coordinated effort with our allies, and we are united in our fight against this tyranny and aggression towards the innocent peoples of Ukraine.
Every conflict and every threat situation is unique and requires a tailored response. The Government has already made a number of changes to the immigration system to help Ukrainians wishing to come to the UK.
- We have waived the application fee for immediate family members of British nationals living in Ukraine as a family unit who apply under the Family Migration route. This has supported hundreds of British nationals and their families resident in Ukraine to leave.
- Where family members of British nationals do not meet the usual eligibility criteria (but pass security checks), UKVI will give them permission to enter the UK outside the rules for 12 months and is prioritising these applications. This includes changes to the normal language requirements and salary thresholds.
- We have also introduced changes to allow Ukrainian nationals already in the UK on a visitor visa to switch into a points-based route or a family visa route free of charge.
- Ukrainians already settled in the UK now have the ability to bring over their immediate Ukrainian family members.
- Additionally, those with temporary employment visas have had their visa extended until at least 31 December 2022 if they cannot return to Ukraine.
Taken together we estimate these moves are expected to benefit all Ukrainians already in the UK and up to 100,000 Ukrainians more. They will have the right to work, education, and training, as well as public funds. Applications are being processed in a matter of hours, with staff then working as fast as possible to issue to the person
We will continue to keep our handling under review as the situation develops and further announcements will be made in due course. It will be responsive to the needs and asks of the Ukrainian Government.
The Prime Minister has stated the following on the matter:
“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. Diplomatically, politically, economically – and eventually, militarily – this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure.
We will of course use Britain’s position in every international forum to condemn the onslaught against Ukraine, and we will counter the Kremlin’s blizzard of lies and disinformation by telling the truth about Putin’s war of choice and war of aggression. We will work with our allies on the urgent need to protect other European countries that are not members of NATO and that could become targets of Putin’s playbook of subversion and aggression. We will resist any creeping temptation to accept what Putin is doing today as a fait accompli. There can be no creeping normalisation, not now, not in the months to come, not in the years ahead.”
This situation is constantly developing, and the government is working very closely with our allies to support the people of Ukraine in any way it can.
(Photo Above: Michael Ellis MP speaking from the dispatch box in the House of Commons on 1st March 2022 to take sanctions measures against Russia through the House.)