I am incredibly concerned about the escalating situation on the border of Ukraine. In recent weeks, Russia’s continued movement of troops and tanks to the border of Ukraine is a clear act of aggression.
I firmly believe that Ukraine has every right to defend its country. I condemn the actions of Russia. I firmly believe that if violence engulfs the towns and cities of Ukraine, it would result in tragedy that would echo across Europe.
Additionally, recent Russian cyber-attacks must also be condemned as a similar act of aggression.
I support the Prime Minister’s assurance that if Russia were to invade Ukraine, the United Kingdom would contribute to any NATO deployments to protect our allies in Europe.
I strongly advocate a continued combination of dialogue with deterrence as the way forward to defuse tension in Eastern Europe.
I have met with my colleagues at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office who have reassured me that Britain continues to work alongside our allies, including the United States and France, to ensure a unified response to Russian aggression.
Through Operation Orbital, the United Kingdom continues to work to strengthen Ukraine’s security. Our alliance focuses on building Ukraine’s resilience to Russian military activity on their border and has seen 21,000 Ukrainian troops trained by British personnel since 2015.
The UK Government and its allies must find a peaceful path forward through principled diplomacy with Russia and Ukraine to prevent the further loss of life and avoid the tragedy of war. But it is also vital to remember that the world is watching the West-We must stand firm against aggressive states who threaten freedom and democracy.
