PM statement at joint press conference on Ukraine: 7 March 2022
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement at a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Joint press conference on Ukraine
I’m very pleased to welcome Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Rutte to London.
During the excellent meetings we have had today we reaffirmed that our three countries stand shoulder-to-shoulder against Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.
In the 12 days since Russia launched this illegal and brutal assault, the world has come together in solidarity with the indomitable people of Ukraine.
Last week 141 countries – nearly three quarters of the entire membership of the United Nations – voted to condemn Putin’s war.
And 39 countries – including the UK, Canada and the Netherlands – voted to refer Putin’s actions to the International Criminal Court. This is the largest such action in the Court has ever seen and will allow the chief prosecutor to open an investigation to ensure Putin cannot commit these crimes with impunity.
As Ukrainians resist Russia’s onslaught with courage and tenacity, the international community must aid their struggle in every way we can.
We will only succeed if the whole international community moves together with the same spirit of unity we have seen in recent days.
Justin, Mark and I have been discussing that today. And later this afternoon I am going to be speak to the leaders of the US, France and Germany to further coordinate our action.
To aid these efforts, today the UK is joining our Dutch and Canadian friends to mobilise more practical and sustained support for Ukraine.
Our new ‘International Ukraine Support Group’ will coordinate the efforts of the international community to provide long term, and unwavering assistance, now and in the future. And we will be encouraging more countries to join us.
This is the moment for Ukraine’s friends to create a coalition of humanitarian, economic and defensive military support to ensure that Putin fails.
That is why today I am announcing a further £175m of UK aid for Ukraine - $100m of which will be provided directly to the Ukrainian Government. This brings the total UK support announced during this crisis to around £400m.
After 12 days it is already clear that Putin has made a miscalculation.
He has underestimated Ukrainians, their heroic resistance, and their leader.
He has underestimated the unity of the West.
And we will continue to strengthen that unity in the days ahead to ensure that Putin fails in this catastrophic invasion of Ukraine.