Liberal Democrats stand with the people of Ukraine
Today is Ukrainian Independence Day.
Liberal Democrats stand with the people of Ukraine.
Their bravery - in the face of six months of brutal atrocities perpetrated by Putin’s regime - is an inspiration to us all.
And as the war in Ukraine continues to wage on, it is incumbent on us in the UK to do all we can to support Ukrainians in their fight for freedom and democracy.
That means stepping up our military support to Ukraine. Giving Ukrainians the tools they need to defend their own territory and resist Vladimir Putin’s invading forces is an absolute necessity. Our resolve must not slacken.
There’s much more to be done in the UK too.
The Conservative Government has rested on its laurels while Putin’s cronies have continued to get away with it.
Too many have escaped sanctions.
And - despite promises made earlier this year - the Conservatives have failed to release the report into golden visas, the permission slip for many oligarchs with links to the Kremlin to treat London as their playground. This was a review commissioned over four years ago. What do the Conservatives have to hide?
We must also use the full force of UK law against Putin’s armies.
We must proscribe Russian military units and mercenary groups that are carrying out atrocities.
By proscribing these groups, they will be branded as terrorist organisations. This will make anyone engaging with them, anywhere in the world, in violation of UK law - putting pressure on those who have dealings with Putin’s mercenaries to pick a side.
And at this dark moment we must renew our commitments of international cooperation and stand with our allies against this horrendous invasion. It’s time to scrap the misguided decision to cut our armed forces by up to 10,000 troops.
The British public have proudly supported Ukraine throughout this conflict - including reaching out to welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms. But there’s more that the UK Government can do - and Liberal Democrats will continue to advocate for stronger support of our Ukrainian allies.
Slava Ukraini!