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UK politics live: Liz Truss makes Commons statement on Russian sanctions and Ukraine invasion UK politics live: Truss warns Britons of ‘some economic hardship’ as she announces more Russia sanctions
(32 minutes later)
Foreign secretary appears before MPs; defence secretary warned over ‘indiscriminate’ bombing in Ukraine Foreign secretary makes statement to Commons; defence secretary warned over ‘indiscriminate’ bombing in Ukraine
And here are some more line from Ben Wallace’s interviews this morning. Truss says the rouble has fallen by 40% in value, and the Russian stock market has been closed.
Wallace, the defence secretary, said Russian invasion of Ukraine was likely to become more violent, with “horrific” casualty levels possible. He said: But she says people in Britain will face some hardship as a result of the sanctions.
Wallace described Putin’s decision to put his nuclear deterrent on high alert as “rhetoric”. It did not fundamentally change the threat, he implied. He said: This is implicit in what has been announced in recent days, but until now it is not something that ministers have wanted to talk about.
Wallace also said that, after Putin’s announcement, his 12-year-old son had asked if it meant there would be nuclear war. Asked how he replied, Wallace told LBC: A theatre in Buckinghamshire has cancelled upcoming performances by the Russian State Ballet company, adding that it is “shocked and appalled” by the escalating conflict, PA Media reports. PA says:
Back in the Commons, Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, says the government will be launcing a public appeal to encourage people to donate to support the humanitarian relief effort for Ukraine.
Boris Johnson is facing demands from 37 Tory MPs that Britain must go further in welcoming Ukrainians fleeing war after a backlash against the government’s refugee policy, my colleagues Jessica Elgot and Rajeev Syal report.
Boris Johnson has spoken to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy this afternoon, and he said the UK would be sending more military support to Ukraine imminently. In a readout from the call, a No 10 spokesperson said:
Downing Street has refused to give details of the military support currently being supplied to Ukraine.
Lubov Chernukhin, a major donor to the Conservative party and the wife of a former Russian deputy finance minister, has issued a statement condemning Vladmir Putin’s “despotic regime” and his “military aggression in Ukraine”, the Telegraph’s Christopher Hope reports.
Truss says Foreign Office officials are “working through the night” to draw up sanctions against individual oligarchs. She says extra lawyers have been hired, and the size of the sanctions department has tripled.
David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, is responding to Truss. He says he welcomes the steps being taken against Russian banks. But he says the government has still not imposed sanctions on the members of the Duma who have backed President Putin.David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, is responding to Truss. He says he welcomes the steps being taken against Russian banks. But he says the government has still not imposed sanctions on the members of the Duma who have backed President Putin.
Truss says her second measure will ban high-tech exports to Russia, such as micro electronics, marine and navigation equipment. She says this will “act as a drag on Russia’s economy for years to come”. Truss says her second measure will ban hi-tech exports to Russia, such as micro electronics, marine and navigation equipment. She says this will “act as a drag on Russia’s economy for years to come”.
Echoing what she said in an interview yesterday, she also says she will continue to use sanctions against individual oligarchs.Echoing what she said in an interview yesterday, she also says she will continue to use sanctions against individual oligarchs.
She says the war could last for months or years. But Britain and its allies are willing to make economic sacrifices to support Ukraine.She says the war could last for months or years. But Britain and its allies are willing to make economic sacrifices to support Ukraine.
Truss says she is introducing two new economic measures to hit the Russian economy.Truss says she is introducing two new economic measures to hit the Russian economy.
First, she will introduce new powers to be used against the Russian financial sector. Their banks will not be allowed to make clearing payment in sterling, she says.First, she will introduce new powers to be used against the Russian financial sector. Their banks will not be allowed to make clearing payment in sterling, she says.
She says, as soon as it is available, she will use this against Russia’s biggest bank, Sberbank.She says, as soon as it is available, she will use this against Russia’s biggest bank, Sberbank.
She says she will also impose a full asset freeze on three Russian banks. This will prevent them from raising debt here, she says.She says she will also impose a full asset freeze on three Russian banks. This will prevent them from raising debt here, she says.
This will isolate Russian companies, she says. Three million of them will not be able to raise capital in London.This will isolate Russian companies, she says. Three million of them will not be able to raise capital in London.
Truss says the rouble has fallen by 40% in value, and the Russian stock market has been closed.Truss says the rouble has fallen by 40% in value, and the Russian stock market has been closed.
But she says people in Britain will face some hardship as a result of the sanctions.But she says people in Britain will face some hardship as a result of the sanctions.
This is implicit in what has been announced in recent days, but until now it is not something that ministers have wanted to talk about.This is implicit in what has been announced in recent days, but until now it is not something that ministers have wanted to talk about.
Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, is making a statement to MPs on sanctions.Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, is making a statement to MPs on sanctions.
She says, as of today, President Putin has not taken any major cities.She says, as of today, President Putin has not taken any major cities.
Patel also told MPs that the UK was pushing for Russia to be removed from Interpol.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, says Patel wants Ukrainians to use existing visa procedures that are not suitable. She asks about a case highlighted by the Guardian, involving a 69-year-old woman, with a daughter living in the UK, unable to come to the UK without having to pay a visa fee because she does not meet the very tight criteria. Will she able to come to the UK safely?
Yes, says Patel.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, reprimands the home secretary for spending too long on her statement. He says she should have made a formal Commons statement on this, which would have allowed questions for an hour, instead of dealing with this in the final few minutes of Home Office questions.
Patel says some MPs are calling for visa waivers for Ukrainians.
But she says she will not agree to that. She says biometric checks are an essential part of the system. She says, on the basis of security advice, they need to stay. She says Russians are infiltrating Ukrainian forces, and she says extremist groups are active in the war zone.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, is now on the topical questions phase of Home Office questions, and she is talking about the proposals for Ukrainians wanting to come to the UK.
She summarises the rules in place.
Some requirements and salary threshold have already been lowered, she says.
She says an extra 100,000 Ukrainians will be able to come to the UK as a result of her changes.
During Home Office questions in the Commons Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, asked the immigration minister Kevin Foster to apologise for the tweet he posted on Saturday saying Ukrainians wanting to come to the UK had the option of applying for a seasonal worker’s visa. That tweet “was the modern day equivalent of ‘Let them eat cake’,” Kinnock claimed.
Foster refused to apologise. He said the home secretary, Priti Patel, would be saying more shortly, and he implied Kinnock’s approach contrasted unfavourably with the Scottish government’s, with whom he had had a “constructive conversation” on Friday, he said.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has criticised the Kremlin for suggesting that Liz Truss is responsible for President Putin deciding to put his nuclear forces on alert. (See 12.37pm.)
Here are the main points from the Downing Street lobby briefing.
The prime minister’s spokeman suggested that Boris Johnson wants the war in Ukraine to lead to the downfall of President Putin. This may seem obvious, but it is not something that ministers have said publicly. (As anyone who remembers the Iraq war will remember, setting regime change as policy is a significant act, with consequences in international law.) Talking about the impact of all the anti-Russia measures being taken, the spokesman said:
But when asked specifically if bringing down Putin was a goal of policy, the spokesman (who has a reputation for being careful with his language) retracted the suggestion. “We are not seeking anything in terms of regime change,” he said.
The spokesman suggested the PM wanted City law firms to stop doing business with Russian state-owned companies. He said:
These are from Times Radio’s Tom Newton Dunn.
Johnson will tomorrow travel to Poland and Estonia for meetings with his counterparts and the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, on Tuesday, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said Priti Patel, the home secretary, will give “more detail” of measures to help Ukrainian refugees wanting to come to the UK in the Commons this afternoon, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said up to 100,000 Ukrainians with British national relatives could come to the UK under the measures already announced.
The spokesman refused to back Liz Truss’s claim that it was acceptable for Britons to travel to Ukraine to fight against Russia. (See 1.35pm.)
The spokesman said the immigration minister Kevin Foster was wrong to post a message on Twitter on Saturday saying Ukrainians wanting to escape to the UK could get a fruit picker’s visa. Asked about the tweet, the spokesperson said:
Here is the tweet.
The spokesman dismissed the Kremlin’s critcism of Truss this morning (see 12.37pm) as a distraction exercise. Asked for a response, he said:
Johnson told cabinet this morning that Putin had made a “colossal mistake” with the invasion, the spokesman said. Giving a readout from cabinet, he said:
An unnamed ally of Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, has dismissed the Kremlin’s attempt to blame her for President Putin putting his nuclear forces on alert as an attempt to distract attention from what is happening in Ukraine. (See 12.37pm.) The “ally” told PA Media:
It has been quite a morning for Truss. Both No 10 (see 1.35pm) and the Kremlin have been briefing against her.