Meeting of the Parliament 05 March 2025
We most certainly should be aware of that danger, and we should counter it. We should make sure that we can rely on reliable news sources. However, it should surely be obvious to anybody that Russia invaded Ukraine. There is no doubt about that, regardless of some of the revisionism that we have heard in recent weeks and months. Let us never tire of pointing out the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim, and we stand with Ukraine.
Thousands of Ukrainians who have made Scotland their home will be deeply concerned by recent developments. As members across the chamber have done, I offer an assurance of our continuing commitment to securing a strong and durable peace that ensures that Ukraine has a secure future. We are clear that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine being at the heart of the talks. We all wish a speedy victory for Ukraine and a resolution that restores peace to the Ukrainian people and ensures Ukrainian sovereignty, democracy, independence and its territorial integrity.
Ukrainians continue to stand firm and are defending their country, their homes, their culture and their independence. Their spirit serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom and the lengths to which people will go to protect it. It is a moment not only to acknowledge the horrors of war, but to celebrate the enduring hope and courage that persist even in these darkest of times.
Now more than ever, we need to emphasise the importance of global dialogues and unity across the political spectrum. As the First Minister has emphasised, we all need to find a cool and rational way through the current challenges that we face.
Throughout the three years of war since the full-scale invasion, the Scottish Government has repeatedly condemned Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. We must continue to show that we are steadfast behind Ukraine and alongside our partners in Europe. There were strong signs of European unity and solidarity on display in London at the weekend. I was encouraged to see the shared commitment to stepping up to support Ukraine.
As part of our on-going solidarity, we will continue to support our friends from Ukraine to settle well in Scotland. We will endeavour to do everything that we can to provide a warm future and to support them to build a new life here. Since the war against Ukraine began, more than 28,000 people with a Scottish sponsor have arrived in the UK, and 21,000 of those arrivals have come through the Scottish Government’s successful supersponsorship scheme. That has enabled us to offer sanctuary to more Ukrainians than any other part of the UK. I am incredibly proud of the kindness and friendship that have been extended by people across Scotland to those who are fleeing war. Many people have opened their homes to Ukrainians, offered them a safe place to stay and helped them to settle into life here.
I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the work of our local authorities and our third sector partners across Scotland, which continue to ensure that Ukrainian people are able to access the services that they need. Ukrainian communities are now flourishing across Scotland, from the Western Isles to Dumfries and Galloway, and from Orkney to the Scottish Borders.
In my role as cabinet secretary, I have had the pleasure and the honour to meet so many Ukrainian people across Scotland and to hear at first hand their personal stories. The past three years have allowed so many Ukrainians to become our friends, our neighbours and our colleagues. While many Ukrainians have been helped by the Scottish welcome, we, in turn, are rewarded by the Ukrainian families who have come here. I say “Thank you” to those from Ukraine who have made Scotland their home for now.
As we continue to hope for peace in Ukraine, our message remains the same. We will continue to stand with the courageous people of Ukraine. We will continue to take an approach that is shaped by our compassion and the need to stand up for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and we remain fully committed to supporting Ukraine’s long-term future and playing our full part in helping to deliver it.
Slava Ukraini. Heroyam slava. [Applause.]
Meeting closed at 18:24.