It is right that we do all we can to help and support Ukraine and I am proud of the UK response so far. The UK has led the way on calling for the strongest sanctions to be imposed on the Kremlin throughout the crisis and has worked closely with allied states in NATO and the EU to implement a sanctions regime which is more comprehensive than anything seen before. UK military, economic and humanitarian aid is flowing to Ukraine to help them fight the Russian invasion and to support its people who now live under the threat of war.
With our strong response to this war of unprovoked aggression, we also send a message to other authoritarian states with territorial ambitions beyond their own borders. For too long, we have turned a blind eye to Russian aggression, and I am proud to be part of a government that recognises the necessity of standing up to authoritarian states and the warmongering they engage in. If we do not draw a line in the sand here, we will have allowed President Putin to undermine the global security order which has kept us safe for decades.
The UK has trained over 22,000 members of the Ukrainian army through Operation ORBITAL. Since 2019, this operation has been also expanded to help Ukraine build up and sustain a naval capability a large part of which was lost due to Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea. In the months prior to the invasion, the UK provided extra support in the form of 2000 anti-armour missiles, which the Ukrainians are now putting to good use. The UK has sent further military support to Ukraine since the invasion.
More than 1,000 British troops have been made ready to support NATO and allies in the event of a humanitarian crisis. These troops are at readiness in the UK to support a humanitarian response in the region should it be needed. On Sunday, the Prime Minister announced that the UK was sending an additional £40 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, bringing the total amount of UK aid pledged this year to £140 million. The UK is also guaranteeing up to $500 million of loans to Ukraine through Multilateral Development Banks.
The Home Secretary has today announced a bespoke humanitarian route for Ukrainians in the UK to allow their family to seek sanctuary in Britain which could see 100,000 people fleeing war able to come to the UK.
