Deputy Speaker,

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has caused undue suffering to millions of people, as civilians across the region have been caught up in violence or forced to leave their homes to escape the chaos of conflict, however, despite all of this the forces of the Russian Federation have been unable to break through the spirit of the Ukrainian people and they now find themselves, in the greater perspective, on the defensive against the advancing Ukrainian military. Almost the entirety of Russia’s armed forces are focused on the brutal conflict, and yet still the determination of the people of Ukraine has not faltered. Despite suffering through a cold and harsh winter, made all the worse by the destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes by Russian bombing, they continue to fight. We have a moral duty to ensure they keep doing so, and to ensure they live on in freedom once the roar of guns quiets at last.

Since 2014, the United Kingdom has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine providing training, logistical support and equipment to bolster the capabilities of the Ukrainian military and this has only increased since the start of this illegal invasion. Previously, the United Kingdom has also levied sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian politicians responsible for supporting Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine. Our approach to these sanctions must be one that weighs the impact it will have on the lives of all civilians, on both sides of this conflict, which is why we are continuing to avoid the sledgehammer sanctions witnessed early in the conflict that accomplished little but galvanising Russian support for their regime. To that end, we are focusing on those profiteering off this carnage, some of whom not only own holiday homes here in London, but have visited them during the war! We will be targeting the financial assets of these death merchants and oligarchs through a multitude of methods, including: seizure of stock assets in British companies and redistribution of those shares to workers at those companies; freezing and forfeiture of bank accounts of both the personal individuals and relevant owned corporations; seizure of lands and properties owned by individuals on the list, to be distributed to local councils or newly established Community Land Banks as appropriate; and the immediate retrocession to Ukraine of the Sukha Balka Mines, in Kryvyi Rih, currently owned by a British subsidiary of Evraz.

This last note highlights something that must be a growing trend towards our support of Ukraine, both in the UK and from the rest of our allies. I worry when I watch some of the ‘aid’ that flows into Ukraine, as it comes with strings attached, strings so clearly reminiscent of previous debt traps nations in similar circumstances have found themselves in. We must be viewing our support as a way to ensure Ukrainian independence and stable future statehood, not as a way to indebt a regional power to ourselves in some cruel echo of Kissinger. To reinforce this, all liquid funds seized from these aforementioned oligarchs will be redirected towards aid in Ukraine, so that the blood money does not go entirely squandered. This may not clean the blood money, but perhaps it may build blood banks where they are needed instead of festering in the banks of Britain.

In order to carry out this new agenda, our sanctions against Russia aren’t complete and could do with a wholesale upgrade, so today I table this renewed list of sanctioned individuals.

Statutory instument.

This statement was delivered by u/arichteabiscuit, the Foreign Secreatry. The statement and the order may be debated up until the 8th at 10PM.