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.