Hansard

I thank everyone who supported this members’ business motion, which gives the Parliament an opportunity to reaffirm our solidarity with Ukraine during these particularly difficult times.

I need to refer to the recent shambles in Washington when President Trump and Vice-President Vance deliberately tried to publicly humiliate their guest, President Zelenskyy. It was an appalling performance by two weak and unstable bullies. President Zelenskyy came out of that stronger in the eyes of the world. Europe must be unwavering in its support for Ukraine.

It is clear that the US has become an uncertain friend and an unreliable ally. Europe must pull together and invest heavily in its armed forces and, most importantly, sever the post-world war two reliance on the US for weapons and logistics. That will not be cheap, but the alternative would be to place our safety and security in the hands of those who may not have our best interests at heart. The report that the US is suspending military aid to Ukraine merely underlines the urgency of the need to no longer be held hostage by an unstable world power. We must be realistic and see the real world as it is: dangerous, unpredictable and predatory.

Last month marked three years since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. That is three years of brutal hurt for the people of Ukraine, three years of barbaric war crimes and three years of unbreakable solidarity between Scotland and Ukraine. This war is an attack on not only Ukraine’s sovereignty but the very principles of international law, democracy and human rights. The activities of the Russian military, which has raped and murdered indiscriminately, apparently with the sanction of its superior officers and the Russian Government, have caused contempt. They have been rightly condemned by civilised nations.

Let me be clear: this war was launched by Russia without provocation. It was not a result of western aggression or NATO expansion. It was a deliberate act of imperialism by President Vladimir Putin, whom many regard as a war criminal and who intends to erase Ukraine’s independence and even its existence. Over three years, we have seen indiscriminate bombings and untold horrors inflicted on the Ukrainian people. There is never an excuse for harming innocent civilians, no matter what lies the Russian propaganda machine tells the world.

To say that war is tragic is to minimise the truth. The impacts of this war will live with the people of Ukraine for the rest of their lives, and probably for generations to come. The tragedy of it was put on full display when I co-sponsored the Little Hope Gallery art event in the Parliament in January. The gallery showcased artwork from children who had been forced to leave their family and friends behind and subsequently channelled their emotions into extraordinary art. I would encourage everyone to view that artwork to fully understand the heartbreaking circumstances that those children have been brought up in. That is why we must continue to support Ukraine whole-heartedly.

When I think of Ukrainian children, I have to remind us of the many thousands who have been kidnapped and sent into Russia to become good Russians. That is ethnic cleansing and a war crime in itself. Those children must be returned to their families.

I am pleased to see that Europe is uniting on the issue, with the European Union announcing further military aid for Ukraine and the United Kingdom Government increasing defence spending, even if by insufficient amounts. For some, the invasion may seem far away, but Russian aggression is a direct attack on our way of life and on our democratic values and freedoms. We cannot allow Russia to claim sovereign Ukrainian land as a result of naked military threat, bluster and brutality.

I have already expressed my concern at the United States’ position on the conflict. In particular, newly elected President Trump is looking horribly weak and vulnerable in his dealings with brutal dictatorships such as Russia. His fear and lack of backbone are imperilling the future of the free world as we know it. Although the global community agrees that the war must end, it cannot be on Putin’s terms. We must be clear that President Zelenskyy is not a dictator; that title should be rightly reserved for Vladimir Putin.

Against overwhelming odds, Ukraine has stood firm, thanks to its brave military and the Ukrainian people, together with support from the world community. Here, in Scotland, we should be proud of the support that we have provided to Ukraine—both financial support and the successful supersponsor scheme for displaced Ukrainians.

In my role as convener of the cross-party group on Ukraine, I am fortunate to have met a number of extraordinary Ukrainians who inspire me every day. Their resilience and courage, with such unwavering community spirit, should be an inspiration for everyone in the Parliament. They have left their homes, and some have had to leave their families—yet, as soon as they arrived in Scotland, they immediately began working together to ensure that their new communities were safe and welcome.

The Ukrainian community centre in Edinburgh is running an initiative to deliver packages to Ukrainian soldiers on the front line. Those packages are shoe boxes filled with small items such as woolly hats, thermal socks and sanitary products. Those small acts of kindness make a real difference to those brave soldiers. If any of my colleagues in the chamber would like to contribute, they should let me know, and I will share the details with them.

We should be proud that, as a country, we have made tens of thousands of Ukrainians welcome in our homeland. There is, however, still more that both the UK and Scottish Governments can do to support Ukraine. I call on the UK Government to extend the homes for Ukraine scheme and to allocate fair thank-you payments to hosts in Scotland. That would ensure that displaced Ukrainians will continue to be able to call the United Kingdom and Scotland their home.

Once again, I thank everyone who supported the motion and who continues to show their absolute solidarity with Ukraine. I look forward to hearing members’ contributions.