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| UK politics live: Truss warns Britons of ‘some economic hardship’ as she announces more Russia sanctions | UK politics live: Truss warns Britons of ‘some economic hardship’ as she announces more Russia sanctions |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Foreign secretary makes statement to Commons; defence secretary warned over ‘indiscriminate’ bombing in Ukraine | Foreign secretary makes statement to Commons; defence secretary warned over ‘indiscriminate’ bombing in Ukraine |
| 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. |
| Councillors and officials in Orkney have privately welcomed approval from Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, for port operators around the UK to ban access to Russian-owned vessels in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. | |
| Orkney Islands council has been pressing the UK government for authority to bar the Russian-owned oil tanker NS Champion from docking at Flotta oil terminal to take on a shipment of crude. Orcadians, including Ukrainians living on the islands, staged a demonstration in Kirkwall, the islands’ capital, on Saturday and urged ministers to ban the vessel. | |
| Shapps issued a letter from the Department of Transport and Maritime and Coastguard Agency at 3.50pm time stating no Russian-owned or operated vessel would be allowed to use UK ports, in order to damage Russia’s economic interests. | |
| The NS Champion had been due to dock at Flotta, an oil terminal, at 6pm on Tuesday evening, but Orkney council said on Monday afternoon that had been pushed back to 8am on Wednesday. Meanwhile another Russian tanker delivering supplies from Primorsk in Russia was in port at Milford Haven in Wales. The Pluto had arrived in the UK on 26 February. | |
| A source in Orkney council, which has now seen Shapps letter, said: | |
| Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has called for Ukrainians wanting to flee to the UK to be allowed to enter the country without a visa. On a visit to Aberdeen she said: | |
| Sturgeon was speaking before Priti Patel, the home secretary, told MPs that she thought dropping the visa requirements would be a security risk. (See 3.26pm.) | |
| 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: | 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. | 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 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: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 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”. | 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 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. |