This week Putin’s regime held 4 so-called ‘referendums’ in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine. A clear violation of international law, these referendums are a desperate attempt by Russia to legitimise their illegal war and clearly do not reflect the will of the local populations. Soldiers going door-to-door collecting votes and election officials declaring results of between 87% and 99% in favour of becoming part of Russia would be laughable if they weren’t so terrifying.
Our Foreign Secretary James Cleverley recently said: “Sham referendums held at the barrel of a gun cannot be free or fair and we will never recognise their results. They follow a clear pattern of violence, intimidation, torture, and forced deportations in the areas of Ukraine Russia has seized.” He is absolutely right. The UK will never recognise these results and in response the Foreign Secretary announced 92 additional sanctions on Putin’s regime, including 33 individuals who were involved.
The reason these referendums are so serious is because Russia will now argue (unjustifiably of course) that any attempt by Ukraine to retake these regions is an invasion of Russia. Putin has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons to ‘defend’ Russia and its people and will now claim this applies to the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. I am glad the international community, particularly President Biden and the United States, are taking these nuclear threats seriously and have warned Putin that there will be serious consequences if nuclear weapons are deployed.
The UK government deserves credit for the approach that the United States and our allies have taken during the war. President Zelenskyy has often singled out the UK for its early and unwavering support and with good reason. We were the first country to provide weapons and military equipment to Ukraine, inspiring other countries to follow suit rather than simply denounce the invasion. We have also been at the forefront of the humanitarian response and by August had welcomed more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees to our shores. Locally I have supported the excellent work of Devon for Ukraine and have assisted with more than 100 visa applications for refugees coming to our Central Devon constituency. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting Iryna Klymovych who has settled in Okehampton with her two children. I met her at the Oxenham Arms in South Zeal where she works and was proud to present her with a certificate for passing her UK Environmental Health Food Hygiene course. All Ukrainians here in Central Devon should know they are very welcome.
As Chair of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee I have worked alongside my opposite numbers in Ukraine and in parliaments around Europe to ensure the sanctions imposed upon Russia have had the biggest possible impact. I have been personally sanctioned by the Kremlin as a result of my support for Ukraine – a badge I wear with some pride.
Photo: Mel with County and Borough Councillors from West Devon in a show of support for Ukraine.