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.