Liz Truss – War in Ukraine could last ‘a number of years’
The Foreign Secretary conducted the government’s media round this morning, in the week which saw Russia invade Ukraine. The capital of Kiev remains under siege from Russian forces, and, as of this morning, the country’s second largest city Kharkiv is also seeing fighting on its streets. Speaking to Trevor Phillips, Liz Truss said that everyone should be prepared for ‘a very long haul:
The UK ‘does welcome refugees’
Keir Starmer and the shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called on the government to remove barriers for fleeing Ukrainians to come to the UK. This was prompted by claims that the bureaucracy in processing visas was causing unnecessary hardship. Truss defended the government’s handling of the process so far:
I ‘absolutely’ support Brits joining Ukrainian struggle
Sophie Raworth also interviewed Truss, and asked her about a call to arms by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, who has called for an ‘international legion’ of volunteers to help defend his country:
UK should be prepared to ‘take an economic hit’
Truss told Raworth that price hikes and other economic problems resulting from sanctions on Russia would be uncomfortable, but would be worth it to help safeguard the principles of liberty and democracy:
David Lammy – Russian ambassador should be asked to leave
Phillips also interviewed the shadow foreign secretary David Lammy. Lammy defended Keir Starmer’s suggestion that the Russian ambassador should be unceremoniously shown the door, saying that Ambassador Kelin has told ‘lie after lie’:
Sanctions on luxuries are ‘part of a package’
Phillips challenged Lammy over Labour’s calls for sanctions on Vladimir Putin, suggesting that the party was trying to sound tough, but asking for something that made little material difference to the situation:
Chris Deverell – ‘I can’t see how Putin has enough troops to maintain control’
And finally, the former head of the UK’s Joint Forces Command, Sir Chris Deverell, gave Phillips his assessment of Putin’s gamble:
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