It is hard to ignore the escalation in activity by Russia’s military on the border with Ukraine. There is also an increased Russian naval presence in the Baltic Sea representing the biggest military build-up in Europe since the end of the Cold War.
There has been a hardening of Russian rhetoric, heightened cyber activity and widespread disinformation – the possible “false flags” that could serve as a phoney pretext for Russian aggression.
Accordingly, diplomatic efforts have intensified. The US and NATO have presented substantive proposals on areas for discussion to increase transparency and reduce risk. The UK joined talks at the UN Security Council to pressure Russia to pursue diplomacy. We also continue pushing the Kremlin to engage constructively with the OSCE and the Normandy Format, urging them to honour the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 and Friendship Treaty with Ukraine of 1997 – agreements they freely signed.
While UK Ministers including the Foreign and Defence Secretaries have been to Moscow to engage with their Russian counterparts, we can take nothing for granted.
This is why legislation has been laid in Parliament by the Government to significantly broaden the range of people, businesses and other entities that we can sanction in response to any further Russian aggression. The Government is also seeking to reduce dependence on Russian energy which the Kremlin cynically weaponises to serve its own ends. The US commitment to reconsider Nord Stream 2 in the event of an incursion is welcome.
The UK’s commitment to European security is unconditional and immovable, with us agreeing a package of NATO support to strengthen our collective security further.
We have also sent thousands of light, anti-armour, defensive weapons, Osprey body armour, Mk6 helmets and cold wet weather boots requested by our Ukrainian friends.
While talks continue, peace remains a possibility. My excellent colleague Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, has been keeping opposition parties briefed on events and there is cross-party consensus behind the Government’s diplomatic efforts and package of defensive equipment.
Millions of people embraced the freedoms that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall and those freedoms go to the heart of what Britain stands for.