Foreign Secretary Parliamentary Statement on Ukraine
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-15)

Foreign Secretary statement on Ukraine delivered to Parliament on 15 October 2025.

Madam Deputy Speaker, with your permission, I will make a statement on the latest situation in Ukraine, on the recent strikes against Kyiv, on our continuing support for Ukraine and our response to continuing Russian aggression and on a major new package of sanctions against Russian oil and gas that I am announcing today.

It is a pleasure to be able to do so on a day in which we have welcomed Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, here to the House of Commons, a sign of our strong and continued friendship.

Madam Deputy Speaker, it is a reflection of the importance of Ukraine’s security to this Government and to all of us here in the UK that Ukraine is my first statement to the House from the Despatch Box as Foreign Secretary, just as Ukraine was my first visit when taking up this role four weeks ago.

Let me before I start say thank you and pay tribute to my predecessor in this role, the now Deputy Prime Minister and member for Tottenham for his work to represent our country on the world stage with great principle and distinction, and who showed such strong and continued leadership in supporting Ukraine.

Three and a half years after Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine President Putin has failed in his war aims – he is failing on his military objectives, on economy, and on his political objectives for Ukraine and Europe

Thanks to the courage and the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the support and determination of Ukraine’s friends, as Ukraine stands firm against Russia, the UK stands firm with Ukraine

Ukraine’s security is Europe’s security and the security and stability of the whole of Europe is vital for our security here in the UK. President Zelensky stands ready to hold talks for peace. But President Putin seeks only to escalate war. He will not succeed.

Now is the time not just to continue with our steadfast support for Ukraine’s defence, but to substantially increase the pressure on Russia’s economy and on Putin’s war machine.

Major new UK sanctions against Russia’s biggest oil companies and shadow fleet. New concerted action with our partners to choke off oil and gas revenues and to hit at the heart of the Putin’s economy and war machine. Because we are determined to support our Ukrainian friends and to stand up for our own security now

Madam Deputy Speaker, what was clear to me in Kyiv a few weeks ago, and is clear to everyone visiting Ukraine, is the enduring courage and unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian people.

I saw first-hand the damage from an Iskander missile on Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers building, just ten days after the British Council offices were also damaged. I met families whose lives had been uprooted, their homes destroyed, their children’s education torn apart.

And I met up with two teenagers who lived with us in Castleford during the first year of the war and have now returned – and who despite the drones, and the bombardments, the disruption to their lives and their schooling, are continuing to train as international standard ballroom dancers.

Because like Ukrainians across their country they will not let Russia destroy their dreams. And that is what Vladimir Putin will never understand about the Ukrainian people.

For three and a half years, and indeed since 2014, he has questioned their resilience. For three and a half years, he has doubted the commitment of their allies. For three and a half years, he has been proven wrong.

And everywhere I went in Kyiv last month, I saw a nation resolute in its fight.

So that despite the huge Russian mobilisation efforts in the last three years, Putin remains as far away from achieving those military goals as he has ever been.

In this war that Putin started, Russian losses are now 20 times higher than Soviet losses in Afghanistan.

In this war that Putin is continuing to pursue, Russia is now struggling to equip its forces. In some areas, stocks are so low they have resorted to using military kit from the 1950s.

And as a result of this war that Putin refuses to end, the IMF have revised down Russian growth forecasts and military spending is now outstripping social spending for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

We know that with increased desperation comes increased danger.

And in recent weeks, Putin has engaged in provocative and reckless violations of NATO airspace in Estonia, Poland and Romania, against which NATO stands together, resolute and ready to act.

His recent bombardment of Ukraine has seen some of the largest attacks in Europe since the height of the Second World War.

With civilian casualties rising nearly 40%, with children killed in playgrounds, hospitals and schools destroyed, and civilian energy infrastructure targeted.

Just yesterday, a UN aid convoy was hit delivering vital assistance to a frontline community.

So while we continue to strive for peace for Ukraine, we must be steeled for the war to continue and that means focusing on four priorities.

First, we will ensure that Ukraine gets the support it needs to stand up to this latest onslaught.

In my meetings with President Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Sybiha in September, I reaffirmed the UK’s ironclad support.

We are providing 4.5 billion pounds of military support for Ukraine this year – more than ever before – with over 150 million pounds worth of air defence and artillery delivered in the last two months alone.

We have used our co-chairmanship of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group to galvanise partners, raising over 2 billion pounds through the UK-run International Fund for Ukraine to support the most urgent military needs.

And during that Kyiv visit, I announced 142 million pounds in UK aid to support Ukraine through winter and into next year.

Including our largest emergency energy support package since the start of the war, to restore and repair water, heating and electricity systems.

Second, Madam Deputy Speaker, we will ramp up the pressure on Russia, to ensure that their escalation comes at a clear cost.

I am today setting out a further new set of sanctions – among our strongest so far – to tighten the pressure on Russia’s economy.

This will be the second set of sanctions that I have announced in a month and I am ready to go further still.

This will take the total UK imposed sanctions on Russia related individuals and entities to over 2,900.

At the UN Security Council last month, I told Foreign Minister Lavrov directly – shortly before he walked out of the chamber – that “we will target your ailing economy, your oil and gas revenues, and the defence industry making your munitions, because we know for Russia, the cost of war is piling up.”

With immediate effect, we are sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, the biggest two Russian energy firms ever targeted by UK sanctions.

Part of an extensive new sanctions package of 90 targets. Including refineries around the world that responsible for importing Russian oil, suppliers of drone and missile components and 44 shadow fleet vessels. Further disrupting the network of tankers that transport Russia’s oil.

The UK has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other partner, taking billions of dollars of Russian oil off the market.

We are sanctioning not just Russian individuals and companies, but also organisations in third countries who continue to support the Russian war effort with all those damaging consequences not just for Ukraine but for Europe’s stability too.

And these sanctions stop UK businesses and individuals from trading or transacting with the actors we have targeted.

And importantly we are also strengthening our co-ordination with the EU who are finalising a new wave of sanctions.

We are urging countries across the world to go further working with us in targeting Russian oil and gas.

In recent months, President Zelenskyy has made clear that he supports a full, unconditional ceasefire and that he is ready to meet with Putin for talks to achieve a just and lasting peace.

President Trump has urged peace and ceasefire talks. But instead President Putin seeks only to escalate the conflict. That is why this economic and coordinated economic pressure is so urgent and important to get him to change course.

Third, Madam Deputy Speaker, we will ensure that Ukraine gets the financial support it needs to recover, and that Russia is the one to pay.

The whole House will be aware of the acute financing needs facing Ukraine, both now and in the long-term.

The UK is pushing at every level to ensure that frozen Russian assets can be used to meet these needs.

They were on the agenda of G7 Finance Ministers when they met on 1 October. And today the Chancellor is in Washington again pressing for progress with her counterparts.

As I have done directly with our European partners we will continue to argue that the full value of Russian sovereign assets must be used to support Ukraine.

The EU has developed a proposal for a “Reparations Loan” for Ukraine which we welcome.

And this has been discussed by The Prime Minister, Chancellor Merz and President Macron. And we expect further progress to be made in the coming weeks.

But finally, Madam Deputy Speaker, while we are prepared for this war to continue, we must also keep working and preparing for peace.

We have seen in recent days what is possible when the international community builds a consensus for peace. We know too the huge international coordination that has come behind the US peace initiative in the Middle East, and the huge international effort that will be needed to ensure it is implemented.

But those same principles on international coordination and effort over time are important for Ukraine. That is why, together with France, the UK Government has convened over thirty countries in several meetings of the Coalition of the Willing.

Encouraging contributions towards a Multinational Force which would stand ready to deploy to Ukraine upon a ceasefire or peace agreement.

To help regenerate Ukraine’s Armed Forces so that Russia is never able to attack again.

We are also implementing the 100 Year Partnership signed by the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy in January, making real our commitment to stand with Ukraine not just today or tomorrow, but over many decades to come.

Madam Deputy Speaker, while Ukraine continues to show its endless reserves of strength Vladimir Putin continues to show his endless depths of depravity.

Time and again he has shown his willingness to threaten the security and sovereignty of other nations. To threaten democracy and undermine the world order. To kidnap tens of thousands of children.

From cyber-attacks in Moldova to the deployment of mercenaries in the Sahel, Russia’s actions seek to topple governments, fuel conflict and spread instability far beyond Europe’s borders.

That is why the UK continues to support Ukraine.

Not just to help that brave people to defend themselves. But to make clear that aggression does not pay, Putin will does not win, that force will be resisted with strength. And that criminals will be held accountable.

Madam Deputy Speaker, Ukraine’s security is our security.

And I commend this statement to the House.