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Priti Patel discusses the situation in Ukraine with her Latvian and Czech counterparts, and the Polish Ambassador and the Canadian High Commissioner.

The Home Secretary Priti Patel recently (22 February 2022) held a series of calls and meetings to discuss the situation in Ukraine with key international partners.

She spoke to her counterparts from Latvia and the Czech Republic – Marija Golubeva, Interior Minister of Latvia, and Vit Rakušan, Czech Interior Minister – and also had a conversation with the Polish Ambassador to the UK, Piotr Wilczek, and met the Canadian High Commissioner to the UK, Ralph Goodale.

In all these conversations the Home Secretary underlined that the UK stands in solidarity with Ukraine and that a united international response to Russian aggression was the best way to protect innocent lives and each other’s homeland security.

It was deemed vital that diplomatic efforts continued to try and seek a resolution to this situation, but that appropriate action also needed to be taken in order to demonstrate the seriousness with which Russia’s actions are viewed by the international community.

In this respect, the Home Secretary was able to share details of the sanctions announced by the Prime Minister against five Russian banks and other individuals today.

She repeated her condemnation of the escalation of Russian disinformation operations and noted the worrying reports of malicious cyber incidents in Ukraine, which represent serious and hostile acts.

Another common theme on which partners agreed was on the importance of a safe, orderly and managed approach to migration and migration flows resulting within the region as a result of the current crisis.

The Home Secretary agreed to keep open lines of communication with her international partners in the coming days.

Home Secretary Priti Patel recently said:

This is a fast-moving situation but through discussions with my international counterparts there has been universal condemnation for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The people of Ukraine can be reassured that there is an international determination amongst friends and allies to speak with one voice in response to recent events and we are already demonstrating that Russia’s actions have serious consequences.