Item 6 this afternoon is the first Welsh Conservatives debate—the invasion of Ukraine and supporting Ukrainian refugees. I call on Mark Isherwood to move the motion.

Motion NDM8204 Darren Millar

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that this month marks the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

2. Condemns the invasion of and continuous aggression against Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity by the Russian Federation.

3. Applauds the resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian brutality.

4. Welcomes the military, financial and humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine by the UK and Welsh Governments.

5. Thanks the people of Wales for their response to the conflict, including their generosity and the welcome provided to Ukrainian refugees.

6. Calls on the Welsh Government to publish a long-term plan to support Ukrainian refugees in Wales.

Motion moved.

Diolch. I'm pleased to move this motion. The twenty-fourth of February 2023 marks the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin's illegal and barbaric invasion of its smaller sovereign neighbour, Ukraine. But this smaller neighbour has the heart of a lion and has roared back, although the impact of ongoing attacks by Russia has been felt hard by the Ukrainian people. All civilised peoples will be horrified that Putin is planning to celebrate this gruesome anniversary by launching another brutal and inhumane offensive. If only the civilised people of Russia could see and hear what horrors Putin and his cronies are perpetrating in their name, as he falsifies the narrative and silences the debate in that great country.

According to the latest estimates from Norway, the conflict has wounded or killed 180,000 Russian soldiers and 100,000 Ukrainian troops. Other western sources estimate that the war has caused 150,000 casualties on each side. In late January, the United Nations estimated that 18,000 civilians had been killed or wounded in the fighting, but said the real figure was likely much higher, with western sources stating that 30,000 to 40,000 civilians had lost their lives in the conflict. Ukrainian authorities say at least 400 children have been killed. Kyiv also alleges that Moscow has forcibly deported more than 16,000 children to Russia or areas controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. According to the UN Refugee Agency, more than 8 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee Ukraine since the war broke out—the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the second world war. Neighbouring Poland hosts the largest share of these refugees, with more than 1.5 million of them. More than 5 million people have been displaced inside the country.

Landmines are a threat to civilians, and experts warn that de-mining could take decades. According to the European Union's justice commissioner, around 65,000 suspected war crimes have been reported throughout the war. UN investigators have accused Russia of committing war crimes on a massive scale in Ukraine, including bombings, executions, torture and sexual violence. According to the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, the active front line north to south runs along 900 miles of territory. The World Bank, in October, said it expected Ukraine's economy to contract by 35 per cent in 2022, and the Kyiv school of economics stated in November that the war has caused more than £34 billion in economic losses in the agricultural sector, and in January it estimated that it would cost £138 billion to replace all the infrastructure ravaged by this war. 

President Zelenskyy's visit to the UK last week was a testament to his country's courage, determination and fight, and to the unbreakable friendship between Ukraine and the UK and its nations. Those who have studied events in the 1930s know that we cannot let Putin succeed. As Churchill said, 

'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.'

Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces and is now expanding this from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots. Ukrainian troops are already being trained in the use of Challenger 2 tanks, which are expected to be sent to Ukraine next month. The UK Government has also announced new sanctions for those who've helped Putin build his wealth and firms that have profited from the war. The UK led the way by donating a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 battle tanks, with armoured recovery and repair vehicles, encouraging the US, Germany and other European allies to send tanks as well, helping Ukraine as it battles to repel and expel Russian forces and Wagner group mercenaries.

As the UK steps up support for Ukraine's battle for liberation, it is donating hundreds more armoured and protected vehicles, including Bulldog vehicles, 24 AS90 Howitzer guns, dozens more unmanned aerial drones, hundreds of sophisticated missiles, 100,000 artillery rounds and a £28 million package to help with bridging and mine clearing, alongside other support. 

The UK will deliver £2.3 billion or more of military support for Ukraine’s campaign against Russian aggression this year, the same or more than last year, when the UK sent more than 10,800 anti-tank missiles, five air defence systems, 120 armoured vehicles, ammunition, drones and more.

Over 1,320 individuals and entities have been sanctioned, and £275 billion-worth of assets frozen, hitting the Russian economy, hobbling Russia’s military-industrial complex, and punishing Putin and allies, including 120 oligarchs worth over £140 billion combined.

Two hundred and seventeen thousand nine hundred visas have been issued to help Ukrainians come to the UK. On 7 February, this comprised 152,100 issued as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme and 65,800 issued through the Ukraine family scheme. The UK has also provided £1.5 billion of economic and humanitarian support to help the Ukrainian people, with £1.3 billion to help keep Ukrainian public services running, and around £220 million in humanitarian aid for basic necessities.

The latest UK Government figures at 7 February showed that 8,762 visas have been granted to people from Ukraine who have sponsors in Wales, and that 6,437 Ukrainians had arrived in Wales, 53 per cent supported by the Welsh Government and the remainder by Welsh households. There have been additional arrivals under the Ukraine family scheme. The Welsh Government set up its supersponsor scheme to provide accommodation support and care in Wales to 1,000 people from Ukraine. It also removed the need for applicants to be matched to a named person before they’re cleared to travel to the UK through the visa system. However, the scheme was temporarily paused to new applications on 10 June last year. The Welsh Government stated that this would allow time for arrangements to be made for the next stage of accommodation, and that all applications made before 10 June 2022 would be processed. It therefore remains unclear how many of the 4,614 issued visas sponsored by the Welsh Government applies to applications made before 10 June 2022, and how many to a supersponsor scheme reopened after the Welsh Government considered that it had made arrangements for the next stage of accommodation.

In her humanitarian response statement yesterday, the social justice Minister said that over 1,300 of those Welsh Government has sponsored have now moved into longer term accommodation. In this context, I'll also repeat what I stated when responding to the Minister’s statement yesterday:

‘It is reported that many Ukrainian refugees in Wales have spoken to the media about the difficulties that many of them are having finding and maintaining housing accommodation. For example, Ukrainian refugees who've had to leave their sponsor homes have been told that welcome centres aren't an option for safe accommodation, and landlords appear reluctant to take on refugee tenants due to concerns over stability of future earnings.’

Responding to the Minister three weeks ago, I also referred to the case of the mother and daughter who fled fighting in Ukraine but now face homelessness as their Welsh sponsor pulls out, who cannot afford private rent and who fear they could end up on the streets. I further noted that the Irish Government has announced that it would be delivering 700 modular homes for Ukrainian refugees this year, including 200 accommodating 800 Ukrainian refugees, built by Easter.

From 2003, I campaigned with the housing sector, warning the Welsh Government that Wales faced an affordable housing supply crisis unless urgent action was taken. Regrettably, they ignored us, causing the affordable housing supply crisis in Wales today. The Welsh Government should therefore be considering this option, the option of modular housing, when it receives its share of the UK Government’s new £150 million fund for Ukrainian housing support. In this context, the humanitarian corridor work of Wrexham’s Polish integration support centre, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, includes proposals for the construction of temporary housing. Further, the focus of Berwyn prison in Wrexham on rehabilitation through work includes the production of eco-friendly modular housing.

The Welsh Government's Ukrainian humanitarian response has, to a large extent, been dependent upon engagement with third sector organisations, including Link International, bringing together community and faith groups and third sector organisations, working with north Wales local authorities, in collaboration with other statutory agencies and the Welsh Government; Wrexham's Polish integration support centre, supporting Ukrainian children, older people, disabled people and soldiers; the Red Cross, supporting and housing the families of the pupils that Laura Anne Jones and I met in Denbighshire last Friday; Rotary clubs that have donated over £6 million in cash and kind and given more than 100,000 volunteer hours supporting Ukraine and its people over the last 12 months; the response to the invasion of Ukraine by the Catholic Bishops Conference for England and Wales; and many, many more.

We must collectively thank the people of Wales for their kindness, generosity and determination to support our Ukrainian friends. The military, financial and humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine by both the UK and Welsh Governments has been vital in supporting the fight against tyranny. But we can't become complacent now. I therefore call on all Members to support this motion, which calls on the Welsh Government to publish a long-term plan to support Ukrainian refugees in Wales, ensuring Wales can truly be a nation of sanctuary. Diolch yn fawr.

I thank the Conservative party for tabling this debate; it's very timely, of course, because next week we will be marking the first anniversary of this invasion. I think, at a time when people seek to create divisions in politics, it's good to have the opportunity to come together as well. I was listening to Mark Isherwood opening the debate, and I noticed there were two words he used that are peppered in my speech as well, in my notes here: the first is 'brutality' and the second is 'generosity'.

When you see an international event such as the invasion of Ukraine, you see brutality at its most raw, and we saw this time last year the build-up of forces around Ukraine and the lies of Putin in claiming that they weren't planning an invasion of that country. Since then, we've certainly seen the commissioning of war crimes by Vladimir Putin, and he needs to be held to account for the actions of his soldiers over this last year.

But we've also seen him practise brutal repression in his own country, in Russia. I read yesterday of the story of a student who had mentioned on her Instagram that she opposed the war in Ukraine. She wears an electronic tag and is facing years of imprisonment, simply for saying that she opposes the Government on Instagram. It's a brutality that is being visited on Ukraine, but it's also a brutality that has been visited on the people of Russia. We need to be able to say together as a Parliament that we will stand against this brutality, and that we will stand with the generosity of people across Wales and across the international community who have supported the people of Ukraine, who have reached out to the people of Ukraine.

Myself and the Counsel General, Mick Antoniw, who has led in an extraordinary, emotional way a response in Wales to this invasion, we stood at the border on the way to Lviv in December, and we stood there for three hours amongst other vehicles full of aid being given by people in other countries to the people of Ukraine. We saw human generosity, human commitment and human solidarity in those trucks and vans and cars, in that snow, waiting to cross the border to give to the people of Ukraine everything that they'd been able to collect in their home countries—generosity in action, generosity of spirit and a generosity of commitment and solidarity.

Our minds move, at the moment, to next week's anniversary, and we see again the troops being mobilised on the borders of Ukraine, and we see again that Putin is determined to crush the spirit of the people of Ukraine. So, we will say again that we will stand with the people of Ukraine, and we will say again that we will continue to act in a spirit of solidarity to ensure that the people of Ukraine receive the support that they require, not only to withstand the invasion and the cruelty and the brutality, but also to then rebuild their country afterwards.

We've seen, in my time, trying here to help support the people of Ukraine—. We saw what that meant for people in Lviv in December. Tomorrow, we will leave here again to travel to Kyiv next week with more aid, more support. Members on all sides of this Chamber, in all parties represented in this Parliament, have worked together in order to provide the support that is required to deliver that aid and that commitment to the people of Ukraine. And that is a testament, I think, to the power of a parliamentary democracy.

We have seen also the importance of the structures of our security, our defence and of our economic prosperity in the west tested as never before. It was important this week to see NATO leaders meeting and recommitting to ensuring that the Ukrainian army has the munitions that it requires to defend its territory. And we need to say in the plan—which I accept the Conservatives have asked for, and I would like to see it as well—that we will support the Welsh defence industry in sustaining the munitions production that is required in order to defend the people of Ukraine. We will continue to argue for the vehicles, the tanks and the weaponry that is required to defend the people of Ukraine. Warm words matter for nothing when you are fighting a dictator. What we need to be able to do is ensure that Ukraine has the bullets and the shells and the munitions to defend its territory as well.

Bringing my remarks to a close, Deputy Presiding Officer, war impacts people. It impacts human beings. The images that we saw over the last year on our tv screens have been truly heartbreaking. Mothers and fathers crying over their children. Children crying over their fathers and mothers. Myself and the Counsel General witnessed last December a child saying goodbye to a father in uniform, standing at the bus stop in Lviv in the early morning darkness, in tears, saying goodbye. Images that we have seen before, but images that we saw in black and white, and not images that we expected to see in the harsh technicolour of the twenty-first century. 

Many of us have spent a lifetime campaigning for peace on this continent, and have witnessed the reality of genocide on this continent in our lifetimes. The lesson that we must learn from Ukraine is that we provide all the support necessary to defend Ukraine, its people, its population. We help and work with Ukraine to rebuild the country afterwards. And then, we hold to account, in international tribunals, the people who have practised this brutality and this war. They then have to accept responsibility for the lives that they have broken and the damage that they have done to Ukraine and our European homeland. Thank you.

First off, I would like to reiterate and endorse the words that have already been spoken, and I would like to put on record our thanks, as Members here in the Senedd, to those of you who have been over to see at first hand the need over there. I think that it's fair to say that the brutality of this horrendous war is borne most painfully of the backs of those defending their homeland, the civilian population and many, many women and children. Many will have been too young to even understand why their lives have been suddenly and brutally uprooted.

The warmth and generosity, however, of communities right across the United Kingdom has shown us at our best. Even in my own constituency, across Aberconwy, local people were very quick to want to offer their hand of support, their homes as a roof over the heads of those fleeing Putin's appalling war in Ukraine. They showed that kindness and warmth—the same kindness and warmth that has always been part of the British spirit.

However, there are still some issues with the day-to-day settlement and the integration schemes, and it's those that I would like to speak about today, as the shadow Minister for housing, because these accommodation issues do worry me. Many Ukrainian refugees have spoken to news outlets, such as WalesOnline, about the difficulties that many of them have now in finding and maintaining housing accommodation. There are millions of displaced people who are still, to this day, moving from one temporary location to another, unsure when they’ll ever return home.

Out of the 8 million people who fled Ukraine, 7,000 found themselves in Wales. Half of the refugees in Wales are sponsored by the Welsh Government's supersponsor scheme, and I’m really grateful for that scheme. They’ve spent the majority of their stays, however, in hotels and similar venues, which quite frankly were never designed for long-term stays. The other half have come via the household Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme. Ukrainian refugees who have had to leave their sponsor homes have been told that welcome centres aren’t an option for safe accommodation if they arrived in the UK as part of the supersponsor scheme. So, with local authorities advising them to look at the private rental market, some landlords appear reluctant to take on refugee tenants due to concerns over the stability of future earnings.

Another Ukrainian refugee talked about the experience, saying,

'in the beginning for me everything was tyrannical and could easily break an ordinary person...The system to some extent offends and humiliates the dignity of a refugee and gives an opportunity to a sponsor.'

Some of those sponsors are landlords who, at any time,

'can throw the tenant out on the street or can arrange unbearable conditions and the right to interfere in someone’s personal life. It is a system that can implicitly wake up unacceptable human qualities such as swagger, arrogance and other negative aspects' that some Ukrainians are now experiencing. So, I do hope that, in the response, you can actually provide us with some reassurances as to how you have been dealing with this.

There is clearly still some lack of joined-up co-ordination regarding the implementation of support and the integration of schemes for Ukrainian refugees. However, the crux of the problem here in Wales is that we simply do not have enough homes. The Welsh Government is achieving less than 50 per cent of the new dwellings target annually, so we need to really look at this. Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Government, health boards and local authorities already own land on which houses could be quickly erected, and I take the point that my colleague Mark Isherwood said earlier about modular housing. The time has come for a home building taskforce to be formed to drive quick projects such as factory-made modular housing on publicly owned land. We have a major housing crisis that is now seeing those refugees stuck in hotels, not homes. It is time for us all to work together to overcome the red tape that is holding back a roof above the head of these most vulnerable individuals. The eyes of the world are watching us and we have to get this right. Thank you.

Plaid Cymru stands in complete solidarity with the people of Ukraine for showing remarkable resilience in the face of Russia’s continued brutal attacks. And it disheartens me that, a year on since Putin’s illegal and barbaric invasion—as Sioned Williams said yesterday—of Ukraine that the war continues. Horrific war crimes are being committed and the Russian officials leading the war, including Vladimir Putin, should be on trial for war crimes. Putin’s illegal war and continued aggression against Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity demonstrate a complete disregard for the UN charter and the self-determination of other nations.

I’d like to emphasise point 3 of the motion in applauding the resilience and strength and bravery of all Ukrainian people in the face of this brutality. And despite this brutality, and whilst Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russia, we must also remember that the country is still playing a key international role. We saw, in response to the devastating earthquake on the Turkey-Syria border, Ukraine not hesitating before sending emergency staff and life-saving machinery to aid in the recovery effort, playing a globally responsible role as a nation.

I urge the UK Government and Welsh Government to continue to provide humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine. And it’s saddening to hear that, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of 30 January, there were 7,155 civilian deaths, 438 of which were children. Furthermore, 11,662 people are reported to have been injured, and they've specified that the real numbers could be much, much higher. To me, this only emphasises the tragedy of war and the need to find peaceful ways of resolving conflicts. We have to do our utmost to avoid further death and destruction, but, ultimately, the peaceful settlement of the war depends on Russia.

We cannot forget that Putin's aim is to destroy the Ukrainian state and to establish a puppet regime, and it's unrealistic to expect negotiations to happen on those terms. Allowing nations to be conquered and subjugated by oppressors is not something we can simply stand by and watch. However, it is crucial that we are clear that any weapons supplied are for Ukrainians to defend themselves, and we must be wary of any risk of escalation into an offensive war. We should be looking at all alternative means to help Ukrainian people at this time. For example, we should further look at continuing and extending sanctions against the Russian economy. These sanctions must also reduce the chance of future campaigns by Russia. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 did result in economic sanctions, but now we know that it wasn't enough to prevent Russia's motivation to invade Ukraine further last year.

And I would call on each of us—. We have mentioned already that Wales is a nation of sanctuary, but as was reflected during Sioned Williams's contribution yesterday and the Minister for Social Justice's response, we cannot allow hostility here in Wales to continue. I have been horrified and hugely saddened to see a Facebook page that has been set up—I was sent a link—which is galvanising nothing short of hatred and a proposed protest in Llantwit Major next month. This is not in line with our values as a nation, and I would urge all of us to consider the language that we use and to consider how that is heard by everyone we represent. This is an open Facebook group and, looking at it, the comments are racist, they're xenophobic, they are full of hatred. That's not the society I want Wales to be, and I am saddened.

I cannot say to those Ukrainian people who've been through so much, and others—. People don't choose to be here. They would like to be safe in their homes, yet they have been forced to live here and they are trying their best. The hatred they then face when they arrive here, rather than being welcomed, is something that should horrify each of us. And given that we saw the attacks in Liverpool last week, to think that the same group is galvanising a protest here in Wales is something that we must consider carefully in this debate. If Wales is to be a true nation of sanctuary, then it is our responsibility to ensure that it is and to stamp out this hatred.

I'm grateful to be able to take part in today's extremely important debate on the motion on the invasion of Ukraine and supporting Ukrainian refugees. I'd like to remind Members of my register of interests in relation to trusteeship of charities.

Firstly, I want to echo comments made from across the political Chamber today. They show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, along with all those who are providing support as well. And as already outlined today, the scenes unfolding in Ukraine over the last 12 months and longer have been utterly horrific, heartbreaking, with Putin's bloody and barbaric invasion of Ukraine continuing, more families being torn apart and forced to flee their homes for safety. This invasion has rightly appalled the world and united democratic nations in their condemnation of the brutal actions of President Vladimir Putin against one of our European allies. The horrors that we're witnessing in Ukraine take us back to a dark time, a time we thought was firmly in the past on the European continent, but, sadly, is not the case. 

I want to be able to use my time today to draw Members' attention to point 5 of today's motion. I, too, would like to thank the people of Wales for their response, support and friendship provided to the people of Ukraine. Certainly, taking into account Heledd Fychan's points just then, there are, sadly, pockets of people in Wales who don't share that same support and hand of friendship, but many people across Wales are rightly offering a hand of friendship to people fleeing Ukraine.

In my contribution today, I'd like to particularly focus on a group of people and organisations that continue to heavily support Ukrainian refugees. This is our churches and their congregations across Wales, no matter their denomination. Mark Isherwood in opening mentioned a number of faith groups and the work they're carrying out. When we look at churches as a whole, over the past 12 months, through the Welcome Churches network alone, which is an organisation supporting churches to support refugees, over 1,000 churches have welcomed nearly 18,000 refugees across the UK, providing help and support to those who desperately need it.

When we talk about support for refugees from Ukraine, we're talking about supporting the whole person. Alun Davies mentioned this in his contribution a few moments ago—it's about that support for people and that whole person includes their faith, in particular during a time of trauma and hardship. This is extremely important for our friends in Ukraine, because around 85 per cent of people in Ukraine identify as having a Christian faith, with nearly one in five in Ukraine attending a church service every single week. So, it's crucially important that their religious freedom, and expression of this, are able to continue whilst they're here in Wales.

Ahead of this debate, I'm sure that Members from across the Chamber received a briefing from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales regarding the support that they've been providing, which is certainly something we should be welcoming. In particular, in working with the Catholic Church, the Caritas Social Action Network have done a fantastic job in supporting the relocation of refugees across the UK, but also specifically here in Wales. On top of this, we see organisations like CAFOD and others providing practical support on the ground in Ukraine, such as providing meals and other aid as well.

I'd like to commend and thank churches and the church more broadly, and other faith groups, for stepping up during this time and ensuring that those who find comfort and solace in faith are being welcomed into church communities with open arms. So many churches are doing this with volunteers quietly and humbly, calling on all of us to welcome the stranger. 

In closing, Deputy Presiding Officer, I'd like to, again, thank all those who are doing so much in supporting Ukrainian refugees. It's been sobering to hear contributions from across the Chamber so far this afternoon. Now is the time for all of us to continue being united in doing what we can to support our Ukrainian friends, whilst holding Putin and his allies responsible for their barbaric and indiscriminate attacks on innocent Ukrainian civilians. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we had our last debate here in the Senedd, which was at the start of the war. It's hard to believe that a year has passed since then. I think it's equally hard to comprehend the brutality and the suffering that has happened in Ukraine since that time. It's the greatest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the second world war, with millions displaced, over 7,000 Ukrainian civilians killed, nearly 500 of whom were children. Whole cities, including Mariupol and Bakhmut, countless villages and towns have been driven to the ground by Russian forces. There have been hundreds of thousands of casualties on both the Ukrainian and Russian sides. But we must not forget that Ukraine is a sovereign state, which has forged its own democratic path since its independence from the Soviet Union over 30 years ago. It has a right to self-determination. It's therefore our duty, from one democratically elected Parliament to another, to support those innocent civilians caught up in this barbaric and pointless war. I think all of us here are humbled by the bravery of ordinary citizens in defending their country.

It's also been a week since the historic London declaration was signed by the UK Government and the Ukrainian Government. This reaffirmed the UK's commitment to helping remove Russian forces from Ukrainian territory and to support Ukraine's recovery and long-term future, including work to repair damage to energy supplies and working together to help Ukraine's grain reach world markets again. The declaration formalises a strategic plan to help the Ukrainian Government and its people back on their feet in the long term. I'm very proud of both the UK Government and Welsh Government's actions so far to help Ukrainian people win back their country, from organising international sanctions to training Ukrainian troops to committing £4.6 billion in military support over two years to providing nearly 0.25 million visas for Ukrainians seeking to come to the UK and £1.3 billion in fiscal support. It's clear that we're ready to face down these aggressors together. I'm also proud that so many Welsh people have opened their homes, as we've discussed already, to refugees, but I think there's more we can do here to keep that welcome warm as we approach the one-year anniversary of the conflict.

I'm concerned to learn that half of the Ukrainian refugees who are sponsored by the Welsh Government supersponsor scheme have spent the majority of their time here in hotels or other venues that weren't designed for long-term stays. Ukrainian refugees who've found it difficult to leave their sponsor homes have found it even more difficult to find suitable accommodation, as they claim landlords are reluctant to take them on because of a lack of stability and their earnings. Actually, one Ukrainian refugee got in touch with me earlier today with exactly that problem: they were worried about leaving the hotel they'd been staying in, they were worried about potentially moving from one location to another and the impact that might have on their child's school, because they've just enrolled in a school in Wales, which was really welcome. But, actually, if they get moved to a different location, they may have to uproot and change all over again, which is a real worry for them as well. So, while the initial will has been there, we have to go that bit further to ensure those Ukrainians who have made this journey to Wales are supported throughout the conflict, so in the end they can either choose to stay here, if that's they want to do, or return home once it's safe to do so.

Here, the Welsh Government can support councils to prepare for large groups of people when it comes to freeing up housing and providing education and healthcare so there is as little disruption as possible for families staying here. There's also the possibility of working with private landlords and housing associations to free up suitable accommodation in the long term. We therefore agree there's a need for the Welsh Government to draw up a long-term plan, as we don't know when, unfortunately, the end is in sight for this conflict, and we don't know how long it will take to help rebuild Ukraine in the future.

But to end with a positive note, I've a great example of a community partnership with Ukrainian refugees in Swansea. Some months ago, Ukrainian refugees volunteered to tidy up and begin a project in the courtyard of the burns and plastics unit at Morriston Hospital. The resilience, this community spirit and the desire to give back is something that we should remember and we should support, especially when these refugees left their homeland with very little. Because for every act of evil in this world—and this war has highlighted some of the most evil things imaginable—we mustn't forget that there are exponentially more acts of kindness that showcase the very best of human spirit, and there is no country, I think, that exhibits that more in the world than what we've seen from Ukrainians over the last year. I'm grateful to contribute to this debate. Sláva Ukrayíni.

Thank you for the opportunity to make a contribution to this debate. Can I also start by reiterating my thanks to the Welsh people and to this Senedd for the overwhelming support for Ukraine and the recognition that this is not just a war for Ukrainians, that it's a war to defend the rule of law, democracy and international law? Can I express my thanks also for the incredible support for Ukrainian families who have had to seek refuge here, for the welcome that they've received throughout Wales, and in particular to the work of the Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt, who I think has added real meaning to the reputation of Wales as a nation of sanctuary, not just for Ukrainians but for all refugees and for all people who have had to flee their homeland.

Next week will be an emotional one for me. It will be the anniversary of the Russian invasion of a sovereign independent state one year ago. It was almost one year ago that the leader of Plaid Cymru and I were in Kyiv to show solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people. Since then, we all see now day in and day out the impact of that invasion: some 15 million people internally or externally displaced; tens of thousands of civilians killed, murdered, tortured, raped, bombed; looting, the destruction of civic infrastructure, the like and scale of which we've not seen since the second world war; the 6,000 stolen children who've been dispersed to filtration camps for re-education, the youngest of which is four months old.

The war is also a war of genocide of the Ukrainian nation. I have with me today my father's alien card from when he was a refugee in this country. Until 1960, he had to register with the police. I recall the sergeant who use to visit on a weekly basis. In the card, the nationality is shown as 'uncertain'—'U' it's marked, uncertain—and this was because he would only describe himself as Ukrainian, but, of course, Ukrainian was not recognised legally. So, he went without any identification of his nationality other than his own description. Were Putin to succeed, there are some 44 million people who would also lose their national identity, who would go down as a 'U'—in fact, they wouldn't go down as a 'U', they'd go down as an 'R', as Russian, their language and culture destroyed. That's why I say this is also a war of genocide and of cultural annihilation. Ukraine may be one step, then there are the Baltics, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia and, of course, Poland.

Next week, myself and Alun Davies, on behalf of all the political parties of this Senedd and on behalf of the Welsh people, will be delivering supplies and a vehicle to a Ukrainian battalion and to the Ukrainian miners union, many of whom's members are fighting on the front line and many of whom have already suffered. It is part of Wales's contribution to the solidarity campaign and part of our historic and international responsibility to support oppressed peoples all over the world—in Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Uyghur people in China, and sadly many other places. We support Ukraine and democracy in Europe with our material and financial support. Ukrainians support the same democracy with their lives. I'm convinced Ukraine will win. Слава Україні! Героям слава! Glory to Ukraine and glory to our heroes. 

Can I add Moldova to that list, Counsel General? We've met with the Moldovan ambassador, and that's clearly another country under threat.

I call on the Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt.

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I start—and I'm sure the Welsh Conservatives and indeed the whole Chamber would want me to start—by thanking Mick Antoniw, the Counsel General, for his contribution to this debate today? I thank him for his courage and commitment and for sharing his personal and family experience, as we've stood together with Mick, I think across this whole Chamber, witnessing the response and the way in which he has guided us in our response to the horrific invasion of Ukraine by Putin nearly a year ago.

This motion that you've tabled is important today, and I thank the Welsh Conservatives for tabling it for debate. But I think we all across this Chamber are once again thanking all of those in Wales who are playing such an important role in this humanitarian response, and who played that role over the past year.

I think, Dirprwy Lywydd, point 1 of the motion expresses the fundamental truth that all the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people over the past 12 months is the result of Putin's illegal invasion. The Siambr has been united and resolute in calling attention to the fact, and I welcome that it's been expressed here again, as we did yesterday on the steps of the Senedd.

Each of us has been shocked by the brutality of what we've seen and heard from Ukraine since the invasion began. None of us will forget the massacre of Bucha, the use of nuclear power plants as a shield, the use of prisoners as combatants, and many other atrocities we've seen. We will continue to encourage our Ukrainian guests to consider engaging with the International Criminal Court war crimes investigation to ensure that those responsible are called to account.

Whilst it's clear to the Welsh public and much of the world at large that Putin has attacked a sovereign nation, the deeper historic injustices and continuous aggression directed towards Ukraine are not as well understood. That's why we commemorated Holodomor in November last year, and we will continue to raise awareness during 2023. We will remember the victims and encourage greater solidarity with Ukrainians who are now finding sanctuary here in Wales.

Despite all the suffering of those in Ukraine and trauma experienced by Ukrainians who we have welcomed into our communities, one thing has characterised their struggle more than any other, and that's bravery. As the First Minister noted when we commemorated Holodomor in November, rather than break their resolve, this war has made giants of Ukrainian people in the eyes of the world.

The international community has demonstrated remarkable solidarity in military, financial and humanitarian aid provided to Ukraine. The UK and Welsh Governments have worked hard to ensure that support is given to Ukraine to the best of our ability, despite the profound cost-of-living crisis that we are experiencing. We've been proud to provide financial support via the Disasters Emergency Committee to provide equipment where required, to open the supersponsor via route to help Ukrainian citizens get to safety more quickly. And, yes, we will be with you and thinking of you, Mike Antoniw MS our Counsel General, Alun Davies, and you partner [Inaudible.] Thomas, who will be taking this equipment—the journey you're undertaking to deliver vital equipment to Ukraine, with cross-party support.

So, the people of Wales have been unwavering in their support for nearly 7,000 who we have welcomed over the last year, as well as for the Ukrainian community members who already called Wales home, and those living and fighting in Ukraine. We are a compassionate people, providing amazing support, as has been expressed today. And, Dirprwy Lywydd, the Welsh Government set up that supersponsor route because we wanted to reduce the safeguarding risks and reduce barriers for people from Ukraine—mostly women and children, who are fleeing this deadly conflict and searching sanctuary. And you remember, over a year ago, we initially committed to support 1,000 Ukrainians through the supersponsor route, but we've now welcomed over 3,000 Ukrainians to Wales, and a further 1,500 have visas, which we've sponsored. They're yet to arrive, but I will say again today that we will receive them with a warm welcome when they arrive.

And I think it is important to recognise that this about how we then move forward to provide that support in our welcome centres, which has been so important. Those welcome centres have been crucial in terms of the support we've provided for settling into life in Wales: translation services for those who don't speak English; opportunities to start learning English and Welsh; health services available; children enrolling in local schools; advice available to help people find their way in a new country; help with money, benefits and access to work. And also, of course, after that initial period in our welcome centres' initial accommodation, supporting arrivals into longer term accommodation.

And this is why I just want to say again—and, of course, I had the opportunity to update Members yesterday in my statement—securing longer term accommodation is key to the provision of support for those displaced by the crisis in Ukraine. It involves a mixture of accommodation, including individual hosting, the private rented sector and other forms of good-quality transitional accommodation. And that does include modular housing, proposals and plans that have come from local authorities across Wales, including my own local authority, the Vale of Glamorgan council. And I think it is important again to say in this debate that, this is as a result of the transitional accommodation capital programme, and that is an important programme that has also been increased from £65 million to £89 million for this financial year, with support from Plaid Cymru, to ensure that we can provide that immediate good-quality housing at pace—that transitional accommodation. And you will see this being provided across Wales in partnership with our local authorities, housing associations and working in very close conjunction with our social landlords as well.

Our long-term plan to support Ukrainians in Wales will follow the principles set down in our 'Nation of Sanctuary' plan, but I would say that we do need some answers to questions that only the UK Government can answer. And I did say, as I said yesterday, that it is important that we press and that we get your support for asking the UK Minister, Felicity Buchan, to develop a route to settlement for Ukrainians who wish to stay long term, and we know that we need to do that in partnership with the Scottish Government as well, following the delivery of our long-term vision.

Deputy Llywydd, I have invited Senedd Members from all parties to the event to mark the invasion of Ukraine by Putin on 27 February, to meet guests, hosts and partners from local government and the third sector across Wales. The UK Government has also just announced a minute's silence at 11 o'clock on 24 February, which we will observe. Deputy Llywydd, we're making a strong stand together this afternoon to honour and support the brave people of Ukraine. Sláva Ukrayíni, heróiam sláva.

I call on Andrew R.T. Davies to reply to the debate.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank everyone who's contributed to today's debate, and especially Mick, obviously, who has such strong personal connections to Ukraine? I would just like to say that we never want to see that 'U' again. You have a country called Ukraine. You should never have to have a document that would say 'unidentified' or 'no fixed abode'. You do have a country that has international recognised borders, and that's why the United Kingdom has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people, and that's why the President of Ukraine came here last week, along with the rest of Europe that he visited, to show that strength of support and appreciation for the Ukrainian people in their hour of need. As we come towards the year's anniversary, which is a week on Friday, many of us thought that we would never see it run this long and that, ultimately, some sort of common-sense approach would appease Putin and he would withdraw back to those international borders, and ultimately, Ukraine could carry on being a nation state—a proud nation state.

But the comments that Alun Davies made about saying 'brutality', 'generosity', and also, I would add, 'solidarity', are typical of what this debate should be about. Mark Isherwood highlighted in his opening remarks the comments around the brutality, about the deaths, about the destruction of property. We've heard about children being taken out of the country of Ukraine into camps—camps. This is Europe we're talking about. For many people in the modern era when we're talking about Ukraine, they have images of European football championships being played there and going there on holidays. And also, from an agricultural point of view, I have much understanding of the great agricultural potential that Ukraine has, as Tom Giffard touched on about the food supply that is provided. Sam Rowlands touched on the community support that obviously has been offered the length and breadth of this country, and also the rest of the UK and the rest of the world as well, which is greatly appreciated when you think of the mass movement of people—7 million, 8 million, 10 million people and more are in transit and being displaced because of this conflict. Let's not forget, we haven't seen anything like that since the second world war. Some of us with a long enough memory would remember the brutality of the Balkans crisis and what went on there, and that was a terrible and damning indictment of diplomacy's failure, but this is of a different magnitude altogether.

And it has been said in this Chamber that not all Russians are guilty here. They're a state captured by Putin and Putin's cronies around him. This isn't about being against the Russian people. This is about the regime that Putin leads and the dictatorship that he operates within the borders of Russia. And Heledd Fychan touching on, sadly, that example in Llantwit Major of the Facebook page. We must always root out that level of hate and that level of poison that does exist in a very small amount of people's minds, but overcome that with the generosity of spirit that we have shown as politicians, but also as a country as a whole we have done that. But also, the Minister's response. I pay tribute to what the Minister has done in her role in social justice, but also highlighting—the point that Janet Finch-Saunders raised—about the need for housing, which I know the Minister is conscious of, but it is, because sadly this war is ongoing and people's displacement is longer than any of us would like to see, going to be with us for many years to come, if not decades to come. And when people are thinking about schooling and putting their roots down in communities, they do need that ability to call a place home, because that is going to be critical about bringing balance back into people's lives.

So, my points today are around the brutality—we've heard about that in this debate; the generosity—we've heard that in this debate today, the generosity of the Welsh and the British people; and above all, the solidarity of how we all stand with the Ukrainian people as we come up to that 12-month anniversary. We all want this war to come to an end, but by standing shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people and saying that it is our firm commitment that we want to see the international borders of the Ukraine respected, we will overcome, we will triumph, and ultimately, the Ukrainian people will have that place called home: the Ukrainian nation state. Thank you.

The proposal is to agree the motion without amendment. Does any Member object? I don't hear any objection. Therefore, the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.