The world recently marked the second anniversary of Putin’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine.
It was a time to reflect on the suffering of the Ukrainian people as well as their remarkable courage and resilience.
Also in my thoughts were Ukrainian families who sought sanctuary in our community, separated from loved ones while the war rages on back home.
Northwich folk can be rightly proud of their solidarity with Ukraine since the very beginning.
Locals donated a warehouse full of clothes sent to Eastern Europe in support of displaced Ukrainians.
We held a well-attended vigil at Barons Quay. In the crowd was a Ukrainian family my team and I helped flee the conflict zone by securing visas at pace, enabling them to join their relatives in Northwich.
The warm reception they received let them know we had their back.
Since then fellow Ukrainians, mainly women and children, have joined them and I gather most have settled in well despite the extremely difficult circumstances.
Because don’t forget that men aged 18 to 60 can’t leave the country in case they are called to fight, splitting wives from husbands and children from fathers.
It’s my understanding the women of working age have found employment locally and are paying their own way. While their offspring are excelling at school and now fluent in English.
However, they are understandably concerned for the future.
There’s no sign of Putin giving up. And in the US there is political pressure to limit military aid to Ukraine. Should Trump be re-elected president, he has vowed to leave NATO.
Meanwhile, our Government is quietly pulling up the drawbridge on Ukrainian refugees. A visa scheme allowing Ukrainians to join family members in the UK has closed to new applications.
And it is reducing the length of new visas issued under the Homes for Ukraine scheme from 36 months to 18 months. I will be asking parliamentary questions around this issue.
Because the imperative to steadfastly back the Ukrainian people and defeat Putin is more evident than ever. That includes continuing to provide military aid to support their defensive capabilities.
After all, if Kyiv falls, where will be next?
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