An East Lancs MP this week (February 22) welcomed members of the Kyiv City Council and Ukrainian Parliamentarians to Westminster reiterating his support for their cause.
Amongst the delegation, where they met with Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, were senior members of the Kyiv City Council including the deputy mayor Volodymyr Bondarenko and Vladyslav Andronov.
The visit provided the opportunity for Deputy Speaker Mr Evans to hear first-hand the devastating impact the ongoing war is having on Ukraine and its people.
Following their meeting, the group were able to observe Prime Minister’s Questions from the gallery where prime minister Rishi Sunak, along with leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer, reiterated the UK’s support in helping to support Ukraine in its struggle.
Mr 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.”
So far the UK has delivered various 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.
As well as financial assistance, the UK has also introduced the most severe sanctions package 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.
Today (February 24) is the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion and the prime minister will be leading the country in holding a national moment of silence at 11am.
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