Westminster Life: Remembering Ukraine after four long years of war
This week we mark four years since Russia launched its brutal invasion of Ukraine, a war that continues to shape Europe’s security and our own future, writes Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes.
I’m proud of the solidarity the British public has shown for Ukraine, from flying the Ukrainian flag and taking in children escaping the war through to the UK Government’s military aid and practical support to helping Ukraine defend its freedom.
When I was first elected, I never thought we would still be watching the horrors unfolding in Ukraine. I thought Russia would have to come in from the cold and bowed to international pressure. In the meantime, countless lives have been lost, and the Ukrainian people have endured attack after attack. But I still believe Russia will fold. And our support in the UK, small and big, is important in demonstrating how isolated Russian thuggery is in the world.
Thank you to everyone in Peterborough who has supported Ukraine and continue to do so. Brilliant groups like Help Our Ukrainian Friends (HOUF), chaired by Richard Astle, has undertaken over twenty deliveries of essential supplies since the war began. Whilst many other people have offered donations, supported Ukrainian families seeking refuge in Peterborough and shown up for church services and public displays of solidarity.
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine also poses a serious threat to UK prosperity and security. And there is a direct link. A generation of underinvestment in our own energy supplies and manufacturing has left us at the mercy of global price hikes in things like gas and oil. That’s why boosting clean energy in Britain isn’t just about the environment, it is about reducing our reliance on foreign powers.
I’ve been a strong supporter of Ukrainian freedom in Parliament and against the gangster regime of President Putin. I have supported the UK Government in its diplomatic efforts to bring Russia to heel, sanction Russian profiteers and back Ukraine’s fight. The British Government has already committed £21 billion for Ukraine, including £13 billion in military support. And as conflicts have changed, our support has kept up to date with the latest technology. We have supplied more than 85,000 vital military drones to Ukraine in just six months this year by accelerating production from British companies and supporting jobs in both countries. We have the finest armed services in the world, and I am pleased we have trained over 62,000 Ukrainian personnel in the UK so far.
The world has become an increasingly fractious place in the last decade. From Russia’s aggression to violence in the illegal settlements in the West Bank and the suppression of protests in Iran, we are seeing a growing disregard for international law and human rights. The Cold War dividend has been squandered and we now face threats to our national security that were barely imaginable twenty years ago. That will mean difficult choices about defence spending and our role in the world. My promise is that, while I focus on the day‑to‑day issues you raise with me - the cost of living, the NHS, and safety in our city – I will also speak up for British values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law on the world stage.