Over a month has passed since Putin unleashed War in Europe for the first time in decades by invading the sovereign country of Ukraine. The people of Ukraine, who once enjoyed personal and economic freedom after ousting Putin’s Puppet President in the Euromaidan or Maidan uprising in 2014, have now been victims of horrific war crimes at the hands of Putin’s reluctant military. It is clear now that Putin made an incredible miscalculation in his invasion of Ukraine, but we must continue to support Ukraine in their efforts to protect their freedom from Putin’s aggression.
Putin assumed that his invasion of Ukraine would be a quick conflict, with air superiority achieved within hours and the country under his control within a matter of days. This could not be further from the truth, with the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people - armed with weapons from the United Kingdom and other NATO and EU countries – Russia’s military has faced extensive resistance to their occupation, losing ground in the territory they captured and ejected from the Kyiv capital.
Conservative MSP Pam Gosal wrote:
“The Ukrainian people’s will to fight for their freedom has been nothing short of admirable. The longer this conflict continues, the stronger the will of Ukraine to fight for its sovereignty and freedom becomes. And regardless of how long this conflict continues, our willingness to stand with Ukraine will only grow stronger with it.”
The United Kingdom has taken the lead in providing military support to Ukraine, providing anti-armour weapons that have destroyed Russia’s key tanks and convoys – stopping the invasion dead in its tracks. On top of that, we have been leading the international response, hammering Russia and its elite with crippling economic sanctions, shattering the Russian economy and stopping Putin from funding this War.
We continue to stand with Ukraine, help them expel the invaders, and push Putin to a humiliating defeat.