Tag Archives: Ukraine

Priti Patel Defends Home Office Ukraine Refugee Scheme As Only 50 Granted Visas

Posted on by
Reply

Priti Patel has defended the government’s Ukrainian refugee scheme as it emerged that only around 50 visas have been granted since it was set up.

Some 5,535 applications have been completed and submitted online, the Home Office said, while a further 2,368 people had booked a visa appointment to submit their application and biometric information.

In addition, 11,750 people have started but not completed an online application.

Under the government’s scheme, Ukrainians with family members in the UK can apply to stay in this country for up to three years.

Boris Johnson has said that around 200,000 Ukrainians could benefit from the scheme.

The home secretary has previously rejected calls for all refugees to be offered visas, blaming security concerns.

Visiting the Ukrainian Social Club in Holland Park, London, Patel insisted everything was being done to process as many applications as possible.

She said: “Let’s be clear, this is the first scheme in the world that’s up and running in this short period of time.

“Ten thousand applications and yes, grants are happening as we stand here right now and are speaking.

“So I’m surging staff across all application centres across the entire European Union as well as in the border countries such as Poland, where I was the other day and obviously where huge numbers of people are coming through.”

Patel added: “This is an incredible scheme and we are doing everything possible, surging capacity across every single application centre across the EU.”

She said staff are being flown into border countries “so we can fast track and speed up applications and it’s right that we do this.”

Patel also hit back at French interior minister Gerald Darmanin, who accused the UK of a “lack of humanity” amid reports that 150 Ukrainians were turned away at Calais for not having visas to enter Britain.

The home secretary said: “Let me just correct what has been said by the French government. The British Government is not turning anybody around or turning anybody back at all.

“And I think it’s really important to emphasise that, particularly at this time, when all nations across Europe must work together to help and support people in need and fleeing Ukraine at this awful, awful time.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, said the visa process for refugees fleeing his homeland for the UK could be simplified.

Speaking outside the Ukrainian embassy in west London, he said: “We believe that some of the procedures can be really simplified.

“We will sort it out later, now we have to let as maximum people we can have as possible.

“All the security checks should be in place for obvious reasons because it is a war.”

But he said he believes the UK is “on the forefront of the effort” to help Ukraine.

Share Button

Defence Chief Urges Brits Not To Fight In Ukraine Despite Liz Truss Giving Her Support

Posted on by
Reply

The head of the armed forces has urged British people not to travel to Ukraine to take part in the war with Russia.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin’s said it was “unlawful as well as unhelpful” for anyone from the UK to get involved in the conflict.

His comments put him at odds with foreign secretary Liz Truss, who last week said she would support anyone from Britain who wanted to fight Vladimir Putin’s forces.

She said: “The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe. Because that is what president Putin is challenging.

“And absolutely, if people want to support that struggle, I would support them in doing that.”

But appearing on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme, Radakin said: “Support from the UK, support in whatever way you can. But this isn’t really something that you want to rush to in terms of the sound of gunfire. This is about sensible support based in the UK.”

Asked if Liz Truss should not have said she would support anyone who wanted to fight, he added: “I think she was reflecting (that) she could and that we can all understand that sentiment, and that sentiment needs to be channelled into support for Ukraine.

“But we’re saying as professional military people, that actually that is not necessarily the sensible thing to be doing.”

Boris Johnson, meanwhile, has unveiled a six-point plan aimed at defeating Putin.

He is calling for an international humanitarian coalition to help Ukraine and for the maximum economic pressure to be placed on Putin’s regime.

Johnson will meet with leaders from Canada, the Netherlands and central Europe on Monday as he seeks to bolster the global anti-Putin coalition.

He will tell them that Ukraine must receive more military and humanitarian support if Russia is to be beaten.

“Putin must fail and must be seen to fail in this act of aggression,” the PM will say.

“It is not enough to express our support for the rules-based international order – we must defend it against a sustained attempt to rewrite the rules by military force.

“The world is watching. It is not future historians but the people of Ukraine who will be our judge.”

Share Button

Boris Johnson Says ‘The People Of Ukraine Will Be Our Judge’ If Putin Is Not Defeated

Posted on by
Reply

Boris Johnson will tell fellow leaders that “the people of Ukraine will be our judge” if the west fails to defeat Vladimir Putin.

The Prime Minister will say “the world is watching” as he unveils a six-point plan of action to help preserve Ukraine’s independence in the face of mounting Russian aggression.

Johnson will this week meet with leaders from Canada, the Netherlands and central Europe as he seeks to bolster the global anti-Putin coalition.

He will tell them that Ukraine must receive more military and humanitarian support if Russia is to be beaten.

“Putin must fail and must be seen to fail in this act of aggression,” the PM will say.

“It is not enough to express our support for the rules-based international order – we must defend it against a sustained attempt to rewrite the rules by military force.

“The world is watching. It is not future historians but the people of Ukraine who will be our judge.”

Johnson will unveil his his six-point plan in a New York Times article on Sunday.

He is calling for an international humanitarian coalition to help Ukraine and for the maximum economic pressure to be placed on Putin’s regime.

The ”creeping normalisation of what Russia is doing in Ukraine” must be prevented, according to the PM, while diplomacy aimed at the de-escalation of Russian aggression must be stepped up and fully involve the Ukrainian government.

Finally, Downing Street said Johnson wants to see “a rapid campaign to strengthen security and resilience across the Euro-Atlantic area.

Canadian prime minister Justine Trudeau and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte will meet with the PM in Downing Street on Monday to discuss the Ukraine crisis.

It follows talks on Friday with French president Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Turkey and Serbia.

On Tuesday, Johnson he will host leaders of the ‘V4’ group of central European nations – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – which are already experiencing first-hand the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The government has said that Ukrainian refugees with family members in the UK will be able to live here for up to three years, a move which ministers claim could potentially benefit 200,000 people fleeing the war.

Share Button

Sky News Journalists Share Video Of Violent Ambush In Ukraine

Posted on by
Reply

Harrowing footage shows the moment Sky News journalists came under fire from Russian forces in Ukraine earlier this week.

Veteran Sky News foreign correspondent Stuart Ramsay and his team of four others were attacked Monday while driving in a vehicle near the capital of Kyiv. Video shows the moment the team’s car was fired upon.

The attackers were Russian saboteurs targeting fleeing civilians, Ramsay reported.

“It’s a professional ambush,” Ramsay says in narration over the video. “The bullets just don’t miss.”

As the car takes fire, the journalists make a run for it down an embankment.

Camera operator Richie Mockler, who continued to film even as bullets pierced the vehicle he was in, took two rounds to his body armor. All five journalists were able to make their escape and are back in the U.K.

“We were lucky,” Ramsay says in the video. “Thousands of Ukrainians are not. And every day, this war gets worse here.”

Share Button

Here’s Why ‘Chicken Kiev’ Is Being Renamed ‘Chicken Kyiv’

Posted on by
Reply

Sainsbury’s is renaming chicken Kievs to match the Ukrainian spelling of their capital city Kyiv in the wake of the Russian invasion.

The supermarket chain said it would start rolling out new packaging in the coming weeks using chicken Kyiv, rather than the Russian spelling Kiev. Ukrainians pronounce their capital “kee-yiv”. The Russian version is “kee-yev”.

The retailer also said it has removed all products that are “100 per cent sourced from Russia” from its shelves.

“We stand united with the people of Ukraine. We have reviewed our product range and have decided to remove from sale all products that are 100 per cent sourced from Russia,” a statement said.

“This means that from today we will no longer sell two products – Russian Standard vodka and Karpayskiye black sunflower seeds.”

What is the history?

Kiev, based on transliteration from the Russian cyrillic Киев, has long been the accepted international spelling, a hangover from Ukraine being swallowed up by Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union.

But since independence in 1991, Ukrainians have been anxious to shed the connection with the USSR and the Russification of their country. Kyiv was officially adopted in 1995.

The spelling and pronunciation took on even greater political significance four years ago after Russia’s annexation of the Crimea. It prompted the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to launch the “KyivNotKiev” campaign.

Since international media started to pay closer attention to the country as Russian president Vladimir Putin prepared the ground for an invasion, Ukrainians have implored foreign journalists to report the name accurately.

But not everyone is saying “chicken Kyiv”

Sainsbury’s is the first UK supermarket to make the switch, and it remains to be seen if other retailers will follow.

In the media, the respected Associated Press news organisation, which produces a hallowed spelling and grammar “stylebook” that is followed by newsrooms across the world, has said “chicken Kiev” will remain its preference.

It tweeted in January: “The spelling Kyiv is AP style for the capital of Ukraine, in line with the Ukrainian government’s preferred transliteration to English and increasing usage. The style for the food dish remains chicken Kiev.”

AP changed “style” for the spelling of the city in 2019. AP’s vice president for standards, John Daniszewski, wrote at the time:

“We are making a significant change in our style for the Ukrainian capital city Kiev. It will henceforth be written in text, captions and datelines as Kyiv.

“The change is in line with the Ukrainian government’s preferred name and transliteration. The spelling Kyiv also has been gaining usage over the last decade among governments, international bodies and media organizations.

“The former spelling, Kiev, will still be seen in AP stories in certain contexts, such as the popular culinary dish, chicken Kiev, and in historical contexts, such as Kievan Rus, the name of the early East Slavic culture and state.

“Although the AP prefers traditional English spellings for many cities, including Rome, Moscow and Warsaw (not Roma, Moskva and Warszawa), we regard the Ukrainian spelling of Kyiv as an important adaptation because it is linked to Ukraine’s present status. To many Ukrainians, the former spelling Kiev appears outdated because it is associated with a time when Ukraine was part of the Russian and Soviet states, rather than an independent country.”

Share Button

Life Goes On: The New Normal For Ukrainians Still Living In A Warzone

Posted on by
Reply

Ukrainians have been subjected to an intense attack from Russia for the last week, pushing an estimated one million people to flee – but what’s life like for the millions who stayed behind?

While Russian president Vladimir Putin allegedly want to “seize the whole of Ukraine”, only the city of Kherson is actually under the control of Russian troops a week after the military invaded.

Several other cities are under intense artillery attacks and persistent shelling – a move described as a potential war crime by Boris Johnson from the Kremlin – but have so far evaded capture by the Russians.

Citizens are still having to shelter in underground stations to stay safe and Ukraine has reported more than 2,000 civilian deaths so far.

Russia has admitted 498 of its troops have died, although the Ministry of Defence thinks the real number is much higher.

And yet, millions of Ukrainians are determined to stay on and defend their country under their wartime leader and president Volodymyr Zelenksyy.

So here’s what life looks for those people who are persevering through the unimaginable conditions, as their lives have been turned upside down over the last seven days.

Civilians cross the shelled bridge in Irpin on March 2, 2022, in Irpin, Ukraine
Civilians cross the shelled bridge in Irpin on March 2, 2022, in Irpin, Ukraine

Europa Press News via Europa Press via Getty Images

Civilians take shelter at an underground metro station in Kyiv on March 2, 2022
Civilians take shelter at an underground metro station in Kyiv on March 2, 2022

GENYA SAVILOV via AFP via Getty Images

Locals of Zaporizhzhia prepare and carry sand bags inside and outside of the hospital so that it is less affected by the Russian attacks, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Locals of Zaporizhzhia prepare and carry sand bags inside and outside of the hospital so that it is less affected by the Russian attacks, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

Anadolu Agency via Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Miraculously, utility workers have made sure internet, light, heating and hot water facilities can still operate – but only in some cities.

Food appears to still be in healthy supply in various areas of the country, despite concerns of an emerging humanitarian crisis among Western governments.

Civilians are seen in a downtown restaurant cooking food to distribute to soldiers, amid Russia's attacks.
Civilians are seen in a downtown restaurant cooking food to distribute to soldiers, amid Russia’s attacks.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

For those trapped without food, other Ukrainians are trying to gather supplies to help the less fortunate survive.

In the city of Mariupol, the Russian forces have reportedly cut off its water, heating, power and supply lines. The city council has compared it to the “old Leningrad”, in reference to Nazi Germany’s siege of a then-Soviet city in 1941, which left 1.5 million dead.

A Ukrainian soldier even reportedly texted the Telegraph pleading: “If anything happens don’t let us be forgotten.”

Ukraine’s strength against the Russian forces has stunned the international community too, as the ordinary people stand up against Putin’s army in both large and small ways.

Civilians are training to fight, learning how to make molotov cocktails (homemade explosives) and, in some cases, stealing Russian equipment.

A civilian trains to throw Molotov cocktails to defend the city
A civilian trains to throw Molotov cocktails to defend the city

VIACHESLAV RATYNSKYI via REUTERS

Civilians attend tactical and shooting exercises on the 6th day since start of large-scale Russian attacks
Civilians attend tactical and shooting exercises on the 6th day since start of large-scale Russian attacks

Anadolu Agency via Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Civilians build iron barricades and traps to block Russia's armoured vehicles
Civilians build iron barricades and traps to block Russia’s armoured vehicles

Anadolu Agency via Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

However, as French president Emmanuel Macon has warned “the worst is yet to come” when it comes to Putin’s brutality, it remains unclear how much longer people can live under these trying conditions.

Share Button

Government U-Turn As Russian Oligarchs Given Less Time To Declare UK Properties

Posted on by
Reply

Russian oligarchs will have less time to dodge declaring what properties they own in the UK, amid pressure on the government to crackdown on Vladimir Putin’s allies.

On Monday the Commons is set to debate and pass the economic crime bill, which is designed to force overseas nationals to disclose assets they own in the UK.

Boris Johnson told MPs on Wednesday it would “whip aside the veil of anonymity” enjoyed by wealthy foreign.

But the government’s initial proposals would have given those who already own property in Britain an 18-month grace period before having to register them.

Speaking during PMQs on Wednesday, Keir Starmer said Labour would support the bill when it came to a vote, but demanded it be strengthened following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Why are we giving Putin’s cronies 18 months to quietly launder their money out of the UK property market and into another safe haven?” he said.

It is understood the government will now reduce the grace-period, although it remains unclear by how much.

Downing Street said it would not speculate on changes to the legislation, but said it did not want to “disproportionately impact legitimate businesses who do follow the law”.

Jonathan Reynolds, Labour’s shadow business secretary, said the government’s “vague” promise was not enough.

“It must back Labour’s proposal to tighten the net on Putin’s cronies now by shortening the grace period to 28 days,” he said.

“We cannot give oligarchs a head start – dirty Russian money must be taken out of the UK in days, not months.

“The government must side with Labour to protect our security and show solidarity with the people of Ukraine by taking the action needed to send a clear, united message – Putin backed oligarchs are not welcome in our economy.”

Johnson has also said he would produce a list of all those who have assets that are related to the Putin regime.

But No.10 has not said when this would be produced and the government is facing calls to immediately seize oligarchs’ assets, such as luxury yachts and homes.

French authorities have said they seized a yacht linked to Igor Sechin, an ally of Putin who runs oil giant Rosneft, under EU sanctions. It was also reported Germany had seized another mega-yacht.

But in the UK questions continue over why billionaires such as Roman Abramovich, who has announced he will sell Chelsea FC, have not yet been hit with sanctions.

Share Button

UK To Personally Sanction Vladimir Putin After Ukraine Invasion

Posted on by
Reply

The UK will personally sanction Russian president Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson has told a virtual meeting of Nato leaders.

Putin and his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov are being targeted over their “revanchist mission” to overturn the post-Cold War order, the prime minister said.

He told alliance leaders on Friday that the UK would echo measures announced by the EU to target the Russian leader.

Referring to Putin’s wish to recover territory which previously fell under the USSR, he said Russia was “engaging in a revanchist mission to overturn post-Cold War order”.

Johnson told allies “the UK would introduce sanctions against president Putin and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov imminently, on top of the sanctions package the UK announced yesterday”, according to a No 10 spokesman.

“He warned the group that the Russian president’s ambitions might not stop there and that this was a Euro-Atlantic crisis with global consequences,” he said.

Johnson also used the meeting to urge “immediate action” over the banning of Russia from the Swift payment system to “inflict maximum pain” on the Kremlin.

It comes as frustrated Russian forces are prepared to “indiscriminately” use thermobaric bombs to seize control of Ukraine, Western officials believe.

One western official said it was “likely” that Russia failed to achieve its main objectives on day one of its invasion of Ukraine.

The official added: “And my fear with those objectives, that timescale not being met, is if that continues to be a theme where they are delayed and then my concern is that that Russia uses indiscriminate use of indirect fire, particularly artillery systems, thermobaric weapons – which we know Russia has both in its armoury and has used in previous conflicts.

“At the moment we’re not seeing the use of those particular weapons. But my fear would be that if they don’t meet the timescales and objectives that they would be indiscriminate in the use of violence and they don’t adhere to the same principles of necessity and proportionality and rule of law that Western forces do.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president issued a sombre warning to leaders of the EU as Russian forces continue to violently invade the country.

“This might be the last time you see me alive,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly told EU leaders on a conference call on Thursday night.

Zelenskyy is currently hiding in Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv as more than 100,000 Russian troops continue to attack the country on Putin’s orders.

“We were supposed to talk on the phone this morning, but he was no longer available,” Italian prime minister Mario Draghi told his parliament on Friday morning of Zelenskyy.

Share Button

Hollywood Actress Wishes She Was Vladimir Putin’s Mother In Bizarre Tweet

Posted on by
Reply

While much of the world is debating how to handle Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one former star of the rebooted “90210” thinks she could have put a stop to it before it ever happened.

AnnaLynne McCord, who played antihero Naomi Clark from 2008 to 2013, on Thursday posted a video on Twitter with a personal ― and peculiar message to Putin.

It begins with McCord saying, “Dear President Vladimir Putin,” while subtitles in English (not Russian) appear below.

Then, the 34-year-old actor apologizes to the 69-year-old Russian leader for not giving birth to him.

“I’m so sorry that I was not your mother. If I was your mother, you would have been so loved, held in the arms of joyous light. Never would this story’s plight. The world unfurled before our eyes. A pure demise.”

It’s bizarre. See the whole 2-minute, 20-second clip yourself.

Although the clip is starting to go viral, many viewers weren’t impressed with McCord’s notion that complex geopolitical issues could have been solved with a few hugs in the early stages of life.

So far, there is no word if Putin has seen McCord’s video, but one person predicted his reaction to it.

And, yes, many people couldn’t help but be reminded of another celebrity gaffe: Gal Gadot’s “Imagine” video from the beginning of the pandemic.

Share Button

What Are The New ‘Severe’ Sanctions Boris Johnson Has Slapped On Russia?

Posted on by
Reply

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine this morning, sending troops, missiles and bombs across the border.

There has been reports of civilian casualties and families have been trying to flee Kyiv amid the chaos.

President Vladimir Putin’s invasion has been condemned by western allies, with Boris Johnson accusing him of being a “blood-stained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest”.

Johnson has now unveiled ten further punitive measures after he was initially criticised for not going far enough with his first set of sanctions.

In a Commons statement, he vowed the UK would implement “the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen”.

Here, HuffPost UK takes you through what has been announced today and assesses what impact they will have.

What Did Boris Johnson Announce Today?

Here are the 10 new sanctions:

1) An asset freeze on all major Russian banks, including VTB, the country’s second largest bank with assets totalling £154 billion.

2) Legislation to stop Russian companies to raise finance in this country and to ban the Russian state from raising sovereign debt on the UK markets.

3) Sanctions against more than 100 Russian individuals, entities and subsidiaries. They include five wealthy oligarchs with links to the Putin regime.

4) Immediately banning Russian airline Aeroflot from landing planes in the UK.

5) Suspend and prohibit all dual use export licences to Russia on items such as electrical components that could be used in military or civilian computers.

6) Legislation prohibiting a wide range of high-tech exports to Russia.

7) A new law limiting the amount of money Russian nationals can deposit in UK bank accounts.

8) Work with allies to limit Russian access to the Swift international payment system.

9) Extend the full range of sanctions against Russia to Belarus, given its close links with Moscow and the part it played in the invasion of Ukraine.

10) Bring forward measures intended for the Economic Crime Bill to strengthen unexplained wealth orders and take action against kleptocrats that launder funds in the UK.

What Sanctions Were Already In Place?

Johnson announced the UK’s first set of measures against Putin on Tuesday which included sanctioning three wealthy allies of Putin and five Russian banks.

Alongside this, members of Russia’s lower parliamentary chamber, the Duma, and the Federation Council, who voted to recognise the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, also face sanctions.

In addition, the territorial sanctions that were imposed on Crimea in the aftermath of the 2014 war will be extended to Donetsk and Luhansk, so no trade can be undertaken with UK individuals or businesses until they are returned to Ukrainian control.

How Will The New Sanctions Hurt Russia?

The sanctions announced today will hit the pockets of oligarchs, big banks and companies with direct links to the Kremlin.

On the five super-rich oligarchs being targeted, a diplomatic source said: “These are people who have international lifestyles.

“They come to Harrods to shop, they stay in our best hotels when they like, they send their children to our best public schools, and that is what’s being stopped.

“So that these people are essentially persona non grata in every major Western European capital in the world. That really bites.”

In Johnson’s words, the aim is to “hobble” the Russian economy and increase the pressure on Putin to end his military action in Ukraine.

Even before the sanctions take effect, Russia’s economy is already feeling the impact of the global condemnation of its invasion.

Some $250 billion has already been wiped from the value of Russia’s top companies – the biggest one day decline on record – while the rouble has plummeted to record lows against dollar.

What Has Been The Political Reaction To The Sanctions?

Unlike the response to the previous sanctions announcement, opposition parties have responded positively to the latest measures, while urging the prime minister to go further if necessary.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “I welcome the set of sanctions outlined by the prime minister today and pledge opposition support for further measures.

“And there are changes we must make here in the UK. For too long our country has been a safe-haven, for the money that Putin and his fellow bandits stole from the Russian people. It must change now.

“Cracking open the shell companies in which the stolen money is hidden will require legislation. Bring it forward immediately prime minister and Labour will support it.”

SNP leader Ian Blackford called for the “complete economic isolation” of Russia.

He said: “Let’s not fall for the Kremlin propaganda that they are prepared to soak up any sanctions. If we act now, if the sanctions are targeted enough, swift enough, severe enough, if we impose nothing less than economic isolation, Putin and his cronies will suffer the consequences of their actions.”

What Might Happen Next?

Western officials believe Putin is determined to capture the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and replace the pro-western president Volodymr Zelensky with a puppet regime.

They fear such an assault would lead to large numbers of civilian casualties and the conflict could lead to clashes with neighbouring countries such as Poland, a Nato member.

Under Article 5 of the Nato constitution, which decrees that an attack on one member is an attack on them all, this would lead to full-scale war between Russia and the west.

Share Button