🧵A few reflections on Ukraine and Russia following my visit to Washington DC with fellow Chairs of FACs last week:

A) Ukraine needs us now more than ever, we must stand with them,
B) Pay attention: Ukraine is still pushing Russia back,
C) There’s an insidious Disney penalty at play for Ukraine,
D) The threat of Putin is being forgotten,
E) The victory quandary,
F) Europe is playing its part,
G) We can’t afford to get this wrong. A) I was dismayed to hear from politicians on the Hill who still haven’t recognised that the best investment in our shared security is to invest in Ukraine’s successful beating back of Russia.

The currently holding back of funds by the US to Ukraine - $61 billion - and the refusal by too many nations to only arm Ukraine with enough to survive is enabling the horrible trench warfare taking place.

We can, and should, do much more to help Ukraine win, not just survive.

The geo-political landscape is shifting swiftly, threats are increasing - not decreasing, and none of us can afford for Ukraine to have to keep on fighting for years to come.

🧵Many facts to be established following the murder of a Kosovar police officer but impunity breeds contempt for the rule of law & order, so accountability is the priority alongside an urgent re-evaluation to put fairness & balance at the heart of int’l approach to Serbia–Kosovo. 2/ The recent trend of punishing Kosovo and pandering to the increasingly autocratic Vucic is leading us deeper into a cycle of violence, instability, and ill-feeling, whilst the light at the end of the tunnel of normalisation and EU membership for both dims ever more.

🧵Landmark judgment from the European Court of Human Rights today as it rules that Bosnia’s ethno-territorial voting system violates the European Convention on Human Rights.

This has significant consequences for Bosnia’s Dayton-based constitution. 1/ 2/ Fundamentally, the Court finds Bosnia’s existing constitutional system violates the right to free and democratic elections and is discriminatory in placing a greater importance on ethnicity rather than citizenship.

I’ve long argued the need to move away from ethno-politics.

10 Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees and 56 Parliamentarians have called on the US, EU & UK to change our approach to #Kosovo and #Serbia.

We need deterrence diplomacy, where we ensure there is balance in our dealings, and we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. 1/





It is rare for so many Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees to come together to raise concerns, and express a shared commitment to de-escalation.

We want to see a Euro-Atlantic path for both Serbia and Kosovo. With minorities respected and heard. 2/

telegraph.co.uk/world-news/202…

🧵The people of Syria have barely survived 12 yrs of barrel bombs, chemical weapons & daily bombardment by the Assad regime & Russia.

The targeting of infrastructure & hospitals for years makes this a humanitarian catastrophe.

How does Assad respond? He bombed again yesterday. Reports say Marea in northern Aleppo - which was affected by the earthquake - was shelled with artillery.

Assad & Putin have relentlessly targeted the opposition, and the areas hit by the earthquake were already home to well over 2 million IDPs, many of whom live in tents 2/

https://twitter.com/aliciakearns/status/1622513010240528384

1/ A peaceful ally is invaded

Consequences must be absolute w/clear demands to pull back & humanitarian efforts launched

- Blacklist all RUS banks & ban inter-bank borrowing,sovereign debt trading: banks die when funds freeze

- Ban City from servicing all RUS state firms 2/
- Sanction Putin, Shoigu, Lavrov, the RUS Security Council & Duma

- Sanction the Oligarchs

- Sanction energy & mineral firms: Rosneft, Gazprom, Surgutneftegas & Evraz

- Expel all Oligarchs & from their families from UK

- Stop all exports to Russia

- Expel Russian agents

Many contacts confirming US assessment that the situation is now critical & Ukraine invasion exceedingly likely

Main point of difference / contention is whether Putin would wait for end of Winter Olympics, however all, to varying degrees, still hopeful it can be averted 1/ Days ahead critical as we assess what, if any, deterrence still feasible, or what cost we will bring to bear on Putin if he pursues this act of aggression on our ally.

However multiple countries / orgs confirming U.K. has delivered on every ask made of them 2/

A 🧵 on #Ukraine

Last week on @CommonsForeign visit to Ukraine I asked as many Ukrainians as I could whether they believed Russia would invade.

They all said:

"It's not in our hands. You and NATO will decide if we are invaded, or if we are protected. *But we will fight*" 2/ We visited #Avdiivka & travelled to the frontlines just 100m from Russian forces, where we met Ukrainian Armed Forces to discuss the daily threats they face, Russian build ups & the threat of further conflict. For 8 years now Ukraine has lived with this war not of its making.

1/ Babies have no place in the Chamber.

I've asked to leave debates to feed my child a few times - I have never been turned down.

This is a debate about childcare that is wrongly being presented as one of rights and representation.

Here's a 🧵on why:

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/… 2/ Is this a Question of being banned from doing our jobs unless babies allowed?

No.

The ultimate way MPs have their say is when we vote

New mums have proxy voting for 6 months, where we tell someone else how we want to vote each time so we don't have to be in Parliament.

Today’s decisions are ones no Prime Minister wanted to make

It’s PM’s foremost responsibility to keep our people safe. We face an enemy we cannot see, but that does not mean that the response is any different. In pandemic, Gov must make decisions sometimes on an hourly basis 1/ It is absolutely right that the Prime Minister make urgent changes to protect us all. He is doing what it takes, and that is the brave and right thing to do.

The change in the situation we face is just too stark for us not to act. But many will be upset, and I understand that 2/

Today @CommonsForeign is hearing evidence from @DominicRaab

Our first topic is #coronavirus

FCO hotline in Malaga answered 28,000 phone calls just yesterday. Many embassies reported as closed are in fact working from home to minimise spread & due to host country restriction 1/ I asked whether Foreign Sec is confident our consular staff abroad are receiving the support & protections they need, and queried whether any countries are making it more difficult for them.

I also put on record my thanks to all the crisis & consular staff working tirelessly 2/

We’ve increased tests in UK for Coronavirus #COVIDー19 5,000 in one day on Friday, and at least 37,746 overall. We’re testing well above most countries (save Italy / China / S Korea).

I’ve had some questions on why we’ve changed the testing approach. I’ll try to explain here 1/ Firstly we need to prioritise testing the most vulnerable to ensure we understand their care needs and what treatment they need.

Secondly we’re testing medical / caring staff to limit the spread of the virus to most vulnerable 2/

Thread on sentencing of extremists & the risk they pose.

PM is absolutely right to end near-automatic release for sexual offenders at the half way point. I want to see the same for terrorists and extremists like Anjem Choudary who should never have been released early prison 1/ Thanks to the new Counter Terrorism & Security Act the Sentencing Council is planning to double the minimum sentence for terrorists from five to ten years. But we also need to end mid-way release due to the gravity of the crimes and the threat they pose 2/