Starmer: ‘Depressing situation in Ukraine’ will ‘change politics for long time’

Sir Keir was speaking at a launch of the Labour campaign for May local elections in north west London.

A crater is seen in front of a heavily damaged residential building in Kyiv (Felipe Dana/AP) (AP)

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the “desperately depressing situation in Ukraine” is going to “change politics for a long time to come”.

Sir Keir was speaking at a launch of the Labour campaign for May local elections at the Greenwood Centre in north west London, when he reflected on the war between Russia and Ukraine and how the UK should help refugees.

Belsize Park candidate in Camden, Peter Ptashko, told the crowd he has family members that are currently in the north western part of Ukraine, near Kyiv.

Sir Keir Starmer is seen speaking at a launch of the Labour campaign for May local elections at the Greenwood Centre in north west London (Karis Pearson/PA)

He then requested for a minute’s silence to be held for those still in Ukraine and others who are fleeing.

Sir Keir, who is the MP for the nearby seat of Holborn and St Pancras, told the crowd: “Peter, thank you for allowing us time to just stop and reflect on the position in Ukraine…it is a desperately depressing situation in Ukraine.

“I remember how I felt when the Berlin Wall came down, that sense of freedom, of something big changing in the world, of countries being free again to decide for themselves, how they decided their own futures, the alliances that they made with other countries, that sense that once that wall came down, nothing like that could happen again.

“I did not think that in my lifetime, I would ever see again Russian tanks going into a European country.

“Soldiers kissing their children goodbye as they stay to fight for their cities and for their country.

“And the desperation of families fleeing across the border, I didn’t think I would see that again…this is going to change our politics for a very, very long time to come and that’s why it’s so important that we support the Ukrainians and everything that they are courageously trying to do.”

He called again for the “strongest possible sanctions” to be put in place against Russia and to help the refugees.

Referring to the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme which was launched on Friday, he added: “I have no problem with an ad hoc scheme that allows people to take refugees into their homes.

“Of course I don’t, but we need much, much more than that.”

People who have crossed the border point from Ukraine into Medyka, Poland, wait to board a bus (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)

Sir Keir said a “serious supportive package” is required, working with local councils and housing providers, to help give the Ukrainian refugees the “full support they need” as they arrive in the UK.

The Government has imposed a range of sanctions against Russia since the outbreak of the war on February 24, including full asset freezes on Russian banks.

An update to the Gov.uk website on Tuesday said that 350 new listings had been made under the Russia sanctions regime.

The list of those sanctioned was expanded to include a further 51 Russian oligarchs and their families, plus a raft of politicians and “propagandists”.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme allows Britons to provide accommodation for someone fleeing the war zone.

Announcing the scheme last week, Communities Secretary Michael Gove said “in recognition of their generosity” a tax-free monthly payment of £350 will be provided to people for each family they look after.

He told MPs Ukrainians will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years under the scheme, with “full and unrestricted access to benefits, healthcare, employment and other support”.

A family from Ukraine wait with their luggage at Przemysl railway station in Poland (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)

The scheme is open to Ukrainian nationals and immediate family members who were residents prior to January 1. A total of 150,000 people have expressed their interest in becoming a sponsor to house Ukrainian refugees so far, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said.

Friday also marked the launch of the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, which allows Ukrainian refugees without family members in the UK to apply for a visa.

As of March 19, 9,500 visas have been issued under the Ukraine Family Scheme scheme out of a total of 30,300 submitted applications, according to the Government’s website.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: “We have introduced the largest and most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on Russia or indeed any major economy. The UK has designated over 1,000 individuals and entities under the Russia sanctions regime since the invasion.

“We have cut off Russian banks with assets of £258 billion as well as the central bank in Moscow. Over three million Russian companies are now barred from raising money on UK capital markets.”