Ukraine latest: Volodymyr Zelensky addresses G7 leaders, PM says cost of Ukraine support is price worth paying
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Boris Johnson said the “price of freedom is worth paying” and the UK would support Ukraine’s fight against Russia for as long as it takes despite the cost.
The Prime Minister’s comments came as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the leaders of the UK, US, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and Italy by video-link from Kyiv.
His address was made in private.
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What Boris Johnson said
Mr Johnson argued that Western allies must continue to back Ukraine because standing up against Vladimir Putin’s aggression would ultimately make the world a safer and more prosperous place.
He said that if Vladimir Putin is not resisted, it could give the green light to countries such as China to pursue their own goals of territorial expansion.
The Prime Minister told the BBC at the summit in the Bavarian Alps: “I think that the economic impacts on the UK will start to abate, we’ll find ways around things and some of the cost pressures will start to come down.
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Hide Ad“But just in terms of staying the course, imagine if you didn’t. Imagine if we allowed Putin to get away with the violent acquisition of huge chunks of another country, a sovereign, independent territory – the lessons for that would be absolutely chilling in all of the countries of the former Soviet Union, you can see what’s happening in the Baltic countries already.
“But the read across would also be felt in east Asia, as well.
“So, in terms of the economic effects of that, that would mean long-term instability, it would mean anxiety across the world.”
What’s been agreed at the summit
– The UK pledged £10 million to repair damaged Ukrainian rail infrastructure to create an overland route to get grain out of the country.
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Hide Ad– The Government will also put £1.5 million to develop a testing process to identify whether grain sold by Russia on the world market has been illegally taken from Ukraine.
– The leaders are considering putting a price cap on Russian oil to further cripple the economy bankrolling the war effort.
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Here are the latest updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Latest updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
US President Joe Biden joins Boris Johnson in imposing new sanctions against Russia
President Joe Biden has announced addition US sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
He said that the United States is working in tandem with the countries across the world to impose new restrictions which have been designed to maximise the long-term impact on Russia.
This includes freezing the assets of Russia’s biggest banks, who hold over £1trillion in assets, as well as Russian elite individuals and their families.
He also said that G7 leaders, who spoke earlier this morning, will work together to limit Russia’s ability to do business in dollars, euros, pound sterling and yen.
Russia takes control of Chernobyl
Ukraine has confirmed that Russian forces have taken Chernobyl.
The partially abandoned city, which is known for the 1986 nuclear disaster, it located beside the Ukraine-Belarus border.
Reports came earlier today that Russian and Ukrainian troops were fighting for control of the location.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said: “After a fierce battle, we lost control of the Chernobyl site.”
Boris Johnson announces ‘largest and most severe’ economic sanctions package Russia has ever seen
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the UK government will impose “the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen”.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson told MPs that new economic sanctions will be imposed, with a full asset freeze for VTB, Russia’s second largest bank.
He added that five addition oligarchs will be affected by sanctions, alongside “more than 100 new entities and individuals” including “all the major manufacturers that support Putin’s war machine.”
Airline Aeroflot will also be banned from the UK.
The UK, US and EU will work together to impose “new trade restrictions and stringent export controls”, which involves a ban on the export of dual items including “a range of high-end and critical technological equipment and components in sectors including electronics, telecommunications and aerospace.”
He added: “These trade sanctions will constrain Russia’s military, industrial and technological capabilities for years to come.”
The Prime Minister told MPs that the UK is pushing for sanctions on Russia use of the Swift banking payment system.
Mr Johnson also confirmed that the sanctions were to be extended to Belarus in response to their part in the overnight assault of Ukraine.
Putin will stand condemned in the eyes of the world and of history. He will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands
Although the UK and our allies tried every avenue for diplomacy until the final hour, I am driven to conclude that Putin was always determined to attack his neighbour, no matter what we did.
Now we see him for what he is – a bloodstained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest.
MOD: Russian troops based in Belarus moving towards Kyiv
A Ministry of Defence intelligence update at 4pm said Russian troops based in Belarus were moving towards Kyiv.
The update said: “Russia has conducted an air assault on an airfield on the outskirts of Kyiv” and that “strikes have been delivered through a combination of Russian ground, air and sea-launched missiles and by artillery bombardment”.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK outlines sanctions he would like to see imposed on Russia
Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, outlined a number of economic sanctions that his country wished to see put in place, including:
- Allies to stop buying Russian oil and gas
- A ban on foreign investment in Russia, including stopping western Government pension funds being invested in Russian assets
- He called on the West to sanction the Russian Central Bank, as well as state-owned and private banks, and to sanction all rouble transactions in western banks
- He said Russia should be blocked from the Swift payment system, and disconnected from Visa and Mastercard systems
- He said personal sanctions should also be expanded to all those on the sanctions lists of western countries, and their families, including asset freezing, visa cancellations, revoking their passports, and sending them back to Russia
Starmer: UK must be braced for ‘economic pain' as it feels repercussions from sanctions against Russia
Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK must be braced for “economic pain” as it feels repercussions from sanctions against Russia.
In a televised address, the Labour leader said: “We must prepare ourselves for difficulties here. We will see economic pain as we free Europe from dependence on Russian gas and clean our institutions from money stolen from the Russian people.
“But the British public have always been willing to make sacrifice to defend democracy on our continent and we will again.”
PM: ‘Western inaction or under-reaction would have unthinkable consequences'
Boris Johnson has stressed that “Western inaction or under-reaction would have unthinkable consequences” in a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
He welcomed Germany’s decision to cancel certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, which was seen as a major economic blow to Moscow.
But he said allies “must now make a concerted effort to bring the strongest possible sanctions to bear on the Putin regime”, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
“The Prime Minister said that President Putin must fail and achieving that will require the Western world to isolate him both politically and economically.
“The Prime Minister welcomed Germany’s decision to suspend the Nord Stream 2 pipeline but said that allies must now make a concerted effort to bring the strongest possible sanctions to bear on the Putin regime.
“The Prime Minister underscored that Western inaction or under-reaction would have unthinkable consequences. The leaders agreed to stay in close contact and to discuss our response further in this afternoon’s meeting of G7 leaders.”
Starmer: Putin’s ‘bandit rule' must fail
Sir Keir Starmer said Vladimir Putin’s “bandit rule” must fail.
“This must be a turning point in our history. We must look back and say that this terrible day was actually when Putin doomed himself to defeat.
“He seeks division, so we must stay united. He hopes for inaction, so we must take a stand. He believes that we are too corrupted to do the right thing, so we must prove him wrong. I believe we can, but only if we stand together.”
MOD: ‘More than 80 strikes’ against targets in Ukraine
The Ministry of Defence said there had been “more than 80 strikes” against targets in Ukraine.
It added that Russian ground forces are advancing across the border “on at least three axes”, from the north, east, and south from Crimea.
Sunak: UK will bring ‘significant’ further sanctions on Russia
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said the UK will bring “significant” further sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
“The whole world is rightly appalled at Russia’s aggression,” he said as he delivered the Mais Lecture at the Bayes Business School in London.
“When the freedom of one democratic nation is threatened, wherever they may be in the world, democracy everywhere is challenged.
“We must apply severe economic costs to these actions and you can expect significant further sanctions to be brought forward.”
Sturgeon: Putin is an ‘autocrat'
Nicola Sturgeon has hit out at Russian President Vladimir Putin, branding him an “autocrat”.
“His control of the apparatus of state and the economy and the military and the media can make his power seem impregnable.
“But, as with most strong men leaders, underneath the veneer of power lies insecurity and fear. Fear of democracy, of freedom, fear of the kind of popular uprisings witnessed over recent years in Ukraine ever happening in Russia.”
She said the “anti-Putin forces within Russia” must have “encouragement and moral support”, as she made clear this was a critical moment.
“Future generations will judge the actions the world takes in this moment,” Ms Sturgeon said.
“There are, of course, many complexities but at its most fundamental this is a clash between oppression and autocracy on the one hand, and freedom and democracy on the other.
“We must all ensure that freedom and democracy prevail.”
Russia-Ukraine: The start of the invasion in pictures
Here is a series of pictures from Ukraine today after Russia launched an invasion against the country.
Watch PM’s speech on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
In a televised address to the nation, Boris Johnson said that Britain “cannot and will not just look away” after Russia invaded Ukraine.
He also promised fresh new sanctions on Russia.
Watch his speech below.
PM: ‘Our worst fears have now come true’
Boris Johnson said “our worst fears have now come true” after Russia “unleashed war in Europe”.
In an address to the nation, the Prime Minister said that a “vast invasion” is now underway in Ukraine.
Mr Johnson added that the UK would provide continued support for Ukraine and that “we cannot, and will not just look away”.
He said the UK will now issue a series of sanctions against Russia.
7 key charts compares military might of Russia, Ukraine, UK, US and NATO
This is fascinating, our data reporter Aimee Stanton has put together 7 key charts that compares the military might of Russia, Ukraine, the UK, US and NATO.
It includes a look at military spending, size of military and conflict-related deaths.
NATO: ‘We now have a war of a scale that we thought belonged to history'
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is giving a press conference on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He said that the alliance has more than 100 jets on high alert that will “protect our airspace”.
Mr Stoltenberg added: "We now have war in Europe of a scale and a type that we thought belonged to history."
Find out more about Nato here, including what the alliance does, who are the member countries and why it was started.
PM to address nation at midday after Russia invades Ukraine
Boris Johnson is expected to address the nation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at 12pm today.
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