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Zelensky attacks Nato in nighttime address: 'People will die because of you'
Boris Johnson has said that Russian president Vladimir Putin will “double down” on his invasion of Ukraine and “continue with the destruction”.
The prime minister said Western nations needed to respond to Mr Putin’s aggression with an “intensified package” and thanked European neighbours for “delivering support for the Ukrainians and support for the Ukrainian right to self-defence.”
It comes as Russia announced a ceasefire in two cities in Ukraine to allow residents to evacuate.
In an interview with foreign newspapers, Mr Johnson added: “Putin also underestimated Western unity, and the governments of all the countries represented around this table have really worked together, very effectively, to produce a package of economic sanctions that has had a very considerable effect on Russia.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky made clear in a late-night address on Friday that he felt the West needed to do more to defend Ukraine, criticising Nato for its refusal to impose a no-fly zone.
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Show latest update 1646470475 Unions call for emergency measures to support Ukraine
Unions are urging the government to take emergency financial measures to support the Ukrainian people.
In a letter to the chancellor Rishi Sunak, the TUC said he should a consider a 100% windfall tax on the profits of companies still invested in Russian state enterprises.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Trade unions condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine. We know that working people in Ukraine, Russia and across Europe want peace. The UK Government must pursue all diplomatic efforts to achieve that goal.
“The Chancellor must use his spring statement to act, too. That means ensuring that sanctions are more effective, with funding to crack down on money laundering in the UK.
“And he should fund greater humanitarian assistance for Ukrainians, including safe passage for those fleeing the war.
“Working people in the UK will need protection from even steeper hikes in gas bills from the conflict.
“The Chancellor should introduce grants to help with energy prices, roll out an emergency programme of home insulation, and fund it with a windfall tax on excess energy profits.”
Joe Middleton 5 March 2022 08:54
1646469955 Tory MP Desmond Swayne says new Brexit paperwork is 'monstrous'
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Tory MP Desmond Swayne says new Brexit paperwork is 'monstrous'
Joe Middleton 5 March 2022 08:45
1646468834 ‘Overall rate of Russian air and artillery strikes observed over the past 24 hours has been lower than in previous days’ - MoD
The “overall rate of Russian air and artillery strikes observed over the past 24 hours has been lower than in previous days”, according to an intelligence briefing from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
In an update posted on Twitter on Saturday morning, the MoD said Ukraine continues to hold Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol and there have been reports of street fighting in Sumy.
“It is highly likely that all four cities are encircled by Russian forces,” the update said.
“Russian forces are probably advancing on the southern port city of Mykolaiv. There is a realistic possibility that some forces will attempt to circumvent the city to prioritise progression towards Odesa.”
Joe Middleton 5 March 2022 08:27
1646467997 Russia says it has gone into ‘silent mode’ to allow humanitarian corridors in two Ukrainian cities
Russia has announced the start of a temporary ceasefire to allow residents of Ukraine’s Mariupol and Volnovakha cities to leave.
The country’s defence ministry said on Saturday that it went into “silent mode” and its units had stopped firing to allow humanitarian corridors to operate for residents of the two Ukrainian cities beginning 7am Saturday, reported state-run media.
“From 1000am Moscow time [0700 GMT], the Russian side declares a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha,” the Russian ministry was quoted as saying by the country’s media.
Anuj Pant reports.
Russia announces temporary ceasefire in two Ukrainian cities The duration of the temporary ceasefire in the two cities has not been made clear yet
Joe Middleton 5 March 2022 08:13
1646467447 Putin has turned Russia into ‘an organisation rather more akin to a gangster group or a mafia outfit’, says Tory MP
Vladimir Putin has turned Russia into “an organisation rather more akin to a gangster group or a mafia outfit”, a senior Conservative has said.
Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he wants to see a tribunal modelled on the Nuremberg trials after the Second World War to hold the Russian leader and his associates to account.
He said this would be a “step further” than the investigation announced by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which he said would focus on war crimes.
“What we’re seeing in Ukraine today is not just the result of a crime but actually of an entire conspiracy,” he said.
Joe Middleton 5 March 2022 08:04
1646466783 Boris Johnson U-turn to speed up sanctions on Russian elite
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Boris Johnson has backed down on plans to allow Russian oligarchs 18 months to register ownership of luxury properties in the UK, slashing the proposed “grace period” to six months.
And he announced plans to streamline the process of sanctioning individuals with links to Vladimir Putin, by removing the legal requirement for government lawyers to show that measures are “appropriate” before implementing them.
But the changes fall well short of demands from Labour, who had called for a maximum 28-day delay before registers must be updated to identify the true owner of a property rather than a shell company.
Boris Johnson U-turn to speed up sanctions on Russian elite Proposed 18-month grace period for registering property to be slashed to six months
Joe Middleton 5 March 2022 07:53
1646466225 PM thinks Putin will ‘double down’ on Ukraine invasion
Boris Johnson believes Vladimir Putin intends to “double down” on his invasion of Ukraine, as the Russian president envisages “no way out” but to “continue with the destruction”.
In an interview with foreign newspapers, the prime minister described the moment he was woken in the middle of the night to the news of Russian shelling of a nuclear power station in Ukraine, saying European security is “equally jeopardised” by such an attack.
“I was woken because poor Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was extremely concerned about what was happening at the nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia,” he said.
“He rang me to say something that I agreed with profoundly, which is: an attack on a nuclear power plant or an explosion at a nuclear power plant are clearly a matter of our common European health and safety.
“Our security is equally involved, equally jeopardised by such an attack. We remember what happened with Chernobyl, the radioactive clouds spread over the whole continent, and indeed, also to North America, as far as I can remember.
The prime minister added that Mr Putin had “misunderstood the character of the Ukrainians and of their resolve, and he underestimated President Zelensky as well, he’s been extraordinary.”
He said: “Putin also underestimated Western unity, and the governments of all the countries represented around this table have really worked together, very effectively, to produce a package of economic sanctions that has had a very considerable effect on Russia.”
Joe Middleton 5 March 2022 07:43
1646466026 Good morning
Hello and welcome to our politics blog, giving you the latest updates from the heart of Westminster.
Joe Middleton 5 March 2022 07:40