Member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley, Nigel Evans, welcomed members of the Kyiv City Council and Ukrainian Parliamentarians to Westminster yesterday reiterating his support for their cause.
Amongst the delegation were senior members of the Kyiv City Council including the Deputy Mayors Volodymyr Bondarenko, and Vladyslav Andronov. The visit provided the opportunity for the Ribble Valley MP to hear first-hand the devastating impact the ongoing war is having on Ukraine and its people.
Following their meeting with Nigel, the group were able to observe Prime Minister’s Question Time from the gallery where PM Rishi Sunak, along with the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer reiterated the UK’s support and resolve in helping to support Ukraine in its struggle.
The Prime Minister said in the Chamber:
“I am delighted to be joined today by a delegation from Kyiv, this coming Friday there will be a national moment of reflection, which will give us the opportunity to pay tribute to the courage of the Ukrainian people and demonstrate our solidarity with Ukraine.”
The Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer said:
“Can I join the Prime Minister in his comments about Ukraine, I had the privilege last week of seeing first-hand the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people and we must continue to stand united in this House in support of Ukraine.”
So far, the UK has delivered a myriad of support packages for Ukraine including over £2.3 billion in military assistance across 2022. Most recently the Government has announced plans to expand training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including for fighter jet pilots and marines. This is in addition to a £220m commitment for humanitarian to help support Ukrainians most in need.
As well as financial assistance the UK has also introduced the most severe sanctions package against Russia ever imposed on a major economy, sanctioning more than 1,200 individuals and 130 entities, and along with allies has frozen around £275 billion of assets.
This Friday the 24th of February will be the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion and the Prime Minister will be leading the nation in holding a national moment of silence at 11am in order to allow members of the public to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the Ukrainian people in their struggle.
Nigel Evans said of the visit:
“It was moving to be able to hear first-hand from our friends in Kyiv, the catastrophic effects of Russia’s illegal invasion. It is undeniable that the struggle for Ukrainians in defending their homeland is huge. However, I am buoyed to have heard of the courage and commitment of those tasked with repelling this outrageous attack on an independent nation’s sovereignty.
“It is heartening to have witnessed the overwhelmingly unified global response to Russia’s illegal act of aggression against Ukraine. However, we must continue to show our solidarity and support and I hope that we have been able to demonstrate this to visiting Ukrainian officials on this delegation.”