Ukraine and the US

Photo credit: Media from Wix

For three years, the brave Ukrainian people have heroically defended their country against Putin’s war machine with Scottish and UK support. Now it increasingly appears that we face an era-defining moment which will determine our long term global future.

I know from speaking with constituents that many were shocked at the way President Trump and Vice-President JD Vance spoke to President Zelenskyy in the White House. Having seen him speak in Westminster Hall two years ago, I have nothing but admiration and respect for him and the extremely tumultuous time that he is navigating Ukraine through. It was an appalling scene.

As I write this, President Trump has just announced that he is pausing all US military aid to Ukraine. This move not only puts the lives of many Ukrainians at risk and threatens to give more power to Putin, but it also shows that the relationship between the UK and the US is changing under the new Administration.

The Liberal Democrats stand full square behind President Zelenskyy and the whole of Ukraine. On Sunday, I attended a service to mark the completion of the artefacts of Crail Church. During the service we sang Kyrie Eleison, a Ukrainian hymn, in solidarity. I am grateful to those who have written to me to show that our support of Ukraine is undiminished.

It is evident now, more than ever, that we must work closely with our European allies to ensure the security of and help to defend Ukraine. We need to keep options on the table for what a UK contribution to a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine could look like. We also need to make sure we're in a position where we could contribute troops on the ground as part of a wider European effort. It’s clear that the previous cut to troop numbers must be reserved and we must invest more in our defences.

Now, as US support wavers, we must also lead with Europe on seizing Russian assets and repurposing them for Ukraine. We must continue to isolate Russia as the rogue state that it is. That means taking robust action to ensure that sanctions are not side-stepped.

I remain hopeful that there be peace in Ukraine and will push the Government at every stage to make sure we are doing everything we can to make this happen.