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Ukrainian president asks PM to declare Russia a ‘terrorist state’
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Volodymyr Zelensky addressed MPs in the Commons via video link on Tuesday evening, with an historic speech that echoed the former UK prime minister Winston Churchill.
In the address, Mr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, thanked Boris Johnson for the UK’s help so far, but called for more to be done. He said: “Please increase the pressure of sanctions against this country [Russia] and please recognise this country as a terrorist country.”
Meanwhile, Priti Patel was earlier condemned by cross-party MPs for telling the Commons the day before that a visa centre had been set up in Calais to help Ukrainian refugees trying to enter the UK – a claim now known to be false.
Roger Gale, a senior MP in the home secretary’s own party, went as far as suggesting she should resign over the matter. “The home secretary said yesterday that a visa centre had already been set up in Calais,” he said. “This was untrue and under any normal administration that would be a resigning matter.”
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of all things UK politics as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters Day 12
Ukrainian refugees are facing “total chaos” as they try to apply to join relatives in Britain under the Home Office’s bespoke visa scheme, as Downing Street contradicted Priti Patel’s pledge to expand the route.
Ministers have been accused of “badly letting Ukrainians down” after it emerged that those who have fled the Russian conflict are having to travel for hours and in some cases wait for days before they can make an application to the home secretary’s family migration route.
Our social affairs correspondent May Bulman reports.
Priti Patel urged to ‘accept that things are going wrong’ as families who have fled Russian conflict forced to travel for hours to attend visa appointments, with some unable to book one at all
The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.
The government’s approach to Ukrainian refugees has been strongly criticised, writes Andrew Woodcock.
Although Boris Johnson claims the UK is taking a “very generous and open approach” towards the 1.7 million Ukrainians who have fled their country to escape Putin’s war, this is far from self-evident.
Reports over the weekend suggested that only 50 visas had been handed out to Ukrainian under a new scheme. The prime minister said on Monday that the figure was wrong, but he could not provide a more accurate number.
It is understood that around 10,000 Ukrainians had applied to come to the UK by Monday.
Britain’s response seems slow and limited compared to the EU – the government will face escalating pressure to amend and extend its offer if it holds this line, argues Andrew Woodcock
Prime minister Boris Johnson will host leaders of the Visegrad Four of central European nations – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – to discuss the Ukrainian conflict today.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is set to give an unprecedented virtual address to the House of Commons today.
This comes as Mr Johnson continues his diplomatic offensive to encourage Western leaders to punish Russia for the invasion. However, he has consistently ruled out the UK policing Ukrainian skies, arguing it would mean shooting down Russian planes.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is set to give an unprecedented virtual address to the House of Commons today.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he had granted the request for Mr Zelensky to read a statement on the invasion by Russia in the chamber at 5pm GMT.
Formal parliamentary business will be suspended at the end of Tuesday afternoon while MPs watch Mr Zelensky on screens installed overnight above either side of the Commons chamber.
Adam Forrest has more:
Parliamentarians ‘want to hear directly from president’, says Speaker Lindsay Hoyle
Boris Johnson’s government is drawing up fresh legislation to crack down on “dirty money” held by Russian oligarchs because the bill being pushed through parliament won’t be enough, the home secretary has said.
MPs passed the Economic Crime Bill on Monday evening, after planned reforms moved up the government’s list of priorities following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It will now be scrutinised by the House of Lords.
Adam Forrest has more:
‘We simply cannot get all the measures in right now’, admits home secretary
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia was “likely” ramping up claims Ukraine is developing nuclear or biological weapons as “retrospective justification” for its invasion.
Vladimir Putin said shortly before the invasion that Ukraine was preparing nuclear weapons, in what was tantamount to preparation for an attack on Russia.
Russian media on Saturday cited an unnamed source on Sunday as saying that Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based “dirty bomb” nuclear weapon, although the source cited no evidence.
“Since the end of February there has been a notable intensification of Russian accusations that Ukraine is developing nuclear or biological weapons,” an MoD statement said.
“These narratives are long standing but are currently likely being amplified as part of retrospective justification for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s government has said it had no plans to develop nuclear weapons, having given up its nuclear arms in 1994 following the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Defence secretary Ben Wallace is doing the TV rounds this morning.
He told Sky News that he will update the Commons tomorrow on UK support for Ukraine:
“We started off, obviously, with 2,000 Nlaws – light anti-tank weapons.
“We’ve changed and increased both the Nlaws and others, and I will make a statement tomorrow, I think, in Parliament to give the details.
“Britain is stepping up and doing that, we are supporting the co-ordination of delivery throughout Ukraine.”
The UK was “in a good place to make sure they get better defence and more defence”, he said.
Soon after Russia invaded, Boris Johnson pledged to send more arms to Ukraine.
Defence secretary Ben Wallace said he would support Poland whether or not it decided to donate MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Ukraine president Zelensky has pleaded with foreign countries to provide warplanes to support its defence against the Russian invasion.
Poland said it had not made a decision on whether to send the Soviet-era fighter planes to its neighbour.
Mr Wallace told Sky News: “Poland will understand that the choices it makes will not only directly help Ukraine, which is a good thing, but also may bring them into direct line of fire from countries such as Russia or Belarus.
“They will have to calibrate that. That’s a really big responsibility on the shoulders of the President of Poland and, indeed, defence minister.
“So, it’s not for me to second-guess their choice. But it is for me as a fellow Nato member to say I will stand by Poland.”
In the US, Democrats and Republicans have urged President Joe Biden to support Poland in supplying the Soviet-era planes and offer to US jets to replace them.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had given a “green light” to the idea but the White House last night said only that it did not oppose Poland sending the jets.
Russia has warned it may consider a country to be part of the conflict if Ukrainian aircraft fly combat missions from their territory – a consideration for Poland but not strictly a deterrent as planes could be sent across in non-combat scenarios.
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