I’m pleased to move this motion.
The 24th February 2023 marks the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s illegal and barbaric invasion of its smaller, sovereign neighbour, Ukraine.
But this smaller neighbour has the heart of a lion and has roared back, although the impact of ongoing attacks by Russia has been felt hard by the Ukrainian people.
All civilised peoples will be horrified that Putin is planning to celebrate this gruesome anniversary by launching another brutal and inhumane offensive.
If only the civilised people of Russia could see and hear what horrors Putin and his cronies are perpetrating in their name, as he falsifies the narrative and silences debate in that great Country.
According to the latest estimates from Norway, the conflict has wounded or killed 180,000 Russian soldiers and 100,000 Ukrainian troops.
Other western sources estimate the war has caused 150,000 casualties on each side.
In late January, the United Nations estimated that 18,000 civilians had been killed or wounded in the fighting, but said the real figure was likely much higher – with Western sources stating that 30,000 to 40,000 civilians have lost their lives in the conflict.
Ukrainian authorities say at least 400 children have been killed.
Kyiv also alleges that Moscow has forcibly deported more than 16,000 children to Russia or areas controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.
According to the UN refugee agency, more than eight million Ukrainians have been forced to flee Ukraine since the war broke out, the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the second world war.
Neighbouring Poland hosts the largest share of these refugees, with more than 1.5 million of them.
More than five million people have been displaced inside the country.
Landmines are a threat to civilians.
Experts warn demining could take decades.
According to the European Union’s Justice Commissioner, around 65,000 suspected war crimes have been reported throughout the war.
UN investigators have accused Russia of committing war crimes on a “massive scale” in Ukraine, including bombings, executions, torture and sexual violence.
According to the Commander in Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, the “active” frontline runs north to south along 900 miles of territory.
The World Bank in October said it expected the country’s economy to contract by 35 percent in 2022.
The Kyiv School of Economics stated in November that the war has caused more than $34bn in economic losses in the agricultural sector, and in January it estimated that it would cost $138bn to replace all the infrastructure ravaged by war.
President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK last week was a testament to his country’s courage, determination and fight, and to the unbreakable friendship between Ukraine and the UK and its Nations.
Those who have studied events in the 1930s know that we cannot let Putin succeed.
As Churchill said “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”
Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces and is now to expanding this from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots.
Ukrainian troops are already being trained in the use of Challenger 2 tanks, which are expected to be sent to Ukraine next month.
The UK Government has also announced new sanctions for those who have helped Putin build his wealth and firms which have profited from the war.
The UK led the way by donating a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 battle tanks with armoured recovery and repair vehicles, encouraging America, Germany and other European allies to send tanks as well, helping Ukraine as it battles to repel and expel Russian forces and Wagner Group mercenaries.
As the UK steps up support for Ukraine’s battle for liberation, it is donating hundreds more armoured and protected vehicles, including Bulldog vehicles; 24 AS90 howitzer guns; dozens more unmanned aerial drones; hundreds of sophisticated missiles; 100,000 artillery rounds and a £28 million package to help with bridging and mine clearing alongside other support.
The UK will deliver £2.3 billion or more of military support for Ukraine’s campaign against Russian aggression this year, the same or more than last year, when the UK sent more than 10,800 anti-tank missiles, five air defence systems, 120 armoured vehicles, ammunition, drones and more.
Over 1,320 individuals and entities have been sanctioned, and £275 billion of assets frozen, hitting the Russian economy, hobbling Russia’s military-industrial complex and punishing Putin and allies – including 120 oligarchs worth over £140 billion combined.
217,900 visas have been issued to help Ukrainians come to the UK.
At 7th February 2023, this comprised of 152,100 issued as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and 65,800 issued through the Ukraine Family Scheme.
The UK has also provided £1.5 billion of economic and humanitarian support to help the Ukrainian people, with £1.3 billion to help keep Ukrainian public services running, and around £220 million in humanitarian aid for basic necessities.
The latest UK Government figures as at 7th February show that 8,762 Visas had been granted to people from Ukraine who have sponsors in Wales, and that 6,437 Ukrainians had arrived in Wales, 53% sponsored by the Welsh Government and 48% by Welsh Households.
There have been additional arrivals under the Ukraine family scheme.
The Welsh Government set up its Super Sponsor Scheme to provide accommodation, support and care in Wales to 1,000 people from Ukraine.
It also removed the need for applicants to be matched to a named person before they are cleared to travel to the UK through the visa system.
However, the scheme was temporarily paused to new applications on 10th June 2022.
The Welsh Government stated that this would allow time for arrangements to be made for the next stage of accommodation and that all applications made before 10th June 2022 would be processed.
It therefore remains unclear how many of the 4,614 issued Visas sponsored by the Welsh Government applies to applications made before 10th June 2022, and how many to a Super Sponsor Scheme reopened after the Welsh Government considered that it had made arrangements for the next stage of accommodation.
In her Humanitarian Response Statement yesterday, the Social Justice Minister said that “over 1,300 of those Welsh Government has sponsored have now moved into longer term accommodation”.
In this context, I will repeat what I stated when responding to the Minister’s Statement yesterday.
It is reported that many Ukrainian refugees in Wales have spoken to the media about the difficulties that many of them are having finding and maintaining housing accommodation.
For example, Ukrainian refugees who have had to leave their sponsor homes have been told that welcome centres aren’t an option for safe accommodation and that landlords appear reluctant to take on refugee tenants due to concerns over stability of future earnings.
Responding to the Minister three weeks ago, I also referred to the case of the Mum and daughter who fled fighting in Ukraine but now face homelessness as their Welsh sponsor pulls out, who cannot afford private rent and who fear they could end up on the streets.
I further noted that the Irish Government has announced that it will be delivering 700 modular homes for Ukrainian Refugees this year, including 200 accommodating 800 Ukrainian Refugees built by Easter.
From 2003, I campaigned with the Housing sector warning the Welsh Government that Wales faced an affordable Housing supply crisis unless urgent action was taken.
Regrettably, they ignored us, causing the affordable housing supply crisis in Wales today.
The Welsh Government should therefore be considering this option when it receives its share of the UK Government’s new £150 Million Fund for Ukrainian Housing Support.
In this context, the Humanitarian Corridor work of Wrexham’s Polish Integration Support Centre following the Russian Invasion of Ukraine includes proposals for the construction of temporary housing.
Further, the focus of Berwyn Prison on rehabilitation through work includes the production of Eco-Friendly Modular Housing.
The Welsh Government’s Ukrainian Humanitarian Response has to a large extent been dependant upon engagement with Third Sector Organisations, including:
- “Link International”, bringing together community and faith groups and third sector organisations, working with North Wales local authorities in collaboration with other statutory agencies and the Welsh Government;
- Wrexham’s Polish Integration Support Centre, supporting Ukrainian Children, older People, Disabled People and Soldiers;
- the Red Cross, supporting and housing the families of the pupils that Laura Anne Jones and I met in Denbighshire last Friday;
- Rotary Clubs, which have donated over £6m in cash and kind, and given more than 100,000 volunteer hours supporting Ukraine and its people over the last 12 months,
- the response to the Invasion of Ukraine by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales
- and many more.
We must thank the people of Wales for their kindness, generosity, and determination to support our Ukrainian friends.
The military, financial and humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine by both the UK and Welsh Governments has been vital in supporting the fight against tyranny - but we can’t become complacent now.
I therefore call on all Members to support this motion, which “calls on the Welsh Government to publish a long-term plan to support Ukrainian refugees in Wales”, ensuring Wales can truly be a Nation of Sanctuary.