‘Ukraine is Europe’s frontier – and Labour must stay resolute in its defence’

Today is 1,462 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Twelve years since Russia’s invasion of Crimea, which many would say was when the war truly began. Years of Ukrainian endurance and resilience, defending Europe’s frontier. 

I write this to you today, on the fourth anniversary of Putin’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where we stand with our allies and friends, ensuring we do nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. 

I’d like to signal my steadfast stance that the Labour government must continue to remain resolute in its support for Ukraine now and whenever the guns fall silent, especially during this poignant time of year. 

Last month, we had the ‘Holocaust Memorial Day’ debate in the main chamber. I do not draw parallels with the Holocaust atrocities lightly in any way, but the secrecy shrouding Russia’s tortuous, illegal detention camps in the occupied territories, persecuting Ukrainian civilians, cannot be overlooked. Ukrainians have been through the Holodomor, the Holocaust and now Russian occupation. 

I have personally visited Ukraine a number of times since the war began, arranging aid convoys and parliamentary delegations. On every occasion, there are new horrors of Russia’s violent destruction of homes, cars, landscapes, torn apart by drones and shells. I’ve met the bravest people I’ve ever encountered, determined to hold fort and not flee their cities, as they feel that allows Putin to pave his way through. This determination has cost thousands their lives. 

This isn’t a war about territory. Russia is already by far the largest country in the world with vast swathes of unpopulated land, but this is a war about autocracy crushing democracy. This is a war we cannot afford to lose.

READ MORE: Vast majority of Labour members back defence spending boost and NATO membership – poll

We are in a hybrid war with Russia already. Putin is trying to erode our democracy on home soil. Russian interference in UK politics is here. Reform’s Nathan Gill was guilty of eight charges of accepting bribes from the Kremlin. The Kremlin exploited legal loopholes to influence the Brexit vote, as ex-MI6 spy Chris Steele revealed earlier this month at a Ukraine and Fair Elections APPG briefing event I hosted here in Parliament. Evidence of Russian election interference was described as “overwhelmingly clear” as early as 2017 to 2019, with its “utterly disruptive and malign presence” in British national life. If we do not resist, act and legislate now, how can we ever expect to be rid of Putin’s influence and to live in a legitimate democracy?

I am proud of the Labour government’s 100 Year Partnership with Ukraine. It is clear from the ground that winning the war is our first battle, but supporting reconstruction is going to be the second. 

Drone strikes on kindergartens. Energy infrastructure obliterated. 664 cultural heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed across Russia’s invasion. I have seen what is left of many of these sites. Moscow has made it very clear that nowhere is immune from missile strikes, even close to NATO territory. 

The centre of any peace agreement that Ukraine would agree to has to include the strongest security guarantee. We must seek to ensure this is in place for Ukraine – whilst also overcoming the war with disinformation, and the Shadow Fleet scattered across the globe. Defending Ukraine is to defend all of Europe. Putin will take the entire West if enabled to, as a despot in the days of Great Powers. We must protect Ukraine, to protect the whole of Europe from this Russian madness. 

I am proud to stand strong with the people of Ukraine, whose resilience ensures Ukraine stays strong, throughout the biting winters and beaming summers. Slava Ukraini.

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