I was immensely pleased to join with Andrew Griffith MP in welcoming hundreds of Ukrainian guests and their hosts under the “Homes for Ukraine’ scheme to a reception at Wilton Park.
For many present, the realities of Putin's deadly invasion of Ukraine are harrowing. The warmth of our local community in welcoming them went far in providing the safety and the care they sought after the peace and security of their homeland was destroyed.
I could not easily find the words to ask them to say to their family members back in Ukraine how we respect them and their dedication and their selflessness in confronting the bloody aggression dictated by Russia's Vladimir Putin. With a warm embrace and a few words in Ukrainian, I shared in welcoming them to the UK and to our communities here in West Sussex.
We must continue to be unequivocal and unwavering in our support for the free people of Ukraine: I expect that, my constituents expect that, the people of the free world expect that.
We share in gratitude to Wilton Park for hosting this event in the lovely grounds of the Wiston Estate who also supplied the event’s wine.
We stand with Ukrainians worldwide today and always.
