Blame the Russian leadership not the Russian soldiers - and remind them about war crimes and international treaties and conventions

Before starting to write this, (Cllr Robin Ashby said to Newcastle City Council last night) I thought about Mia and all the other children born in bunkers and who the Russian leadership is trying to kill. I wish them all long life in freedom and democracy.

I deliberately say the Russian leadership because it is very clear that many Russian soldiers don't know what they are doing, or why. Most Russian speaking Ukranians had nothing to do with this war of aggression, which smashes not just buildings and people but Russia's word as a guarantor of Ukraine's security. Even a member of the Duma was on Radio 4 today criticising his country's policies.

We need to listen to what Putin has said, just as Mein Kampf told us well in advance about Hitler's objectives.

In 1994, Putin stated that "Territories, which are impregnated by Russian or Slavic blood, have a right to remain forever in Slavic possession." Nothing was said about people's choice, self determination, freedom, or any of such soft Western concepts. And obviously the former KGB man sees himself as the embodiment of all Slavs.

Outside NATO, Belarus is already under his thrall. Kazakhstan, Moldova, Transdniestria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, or anywhere with a Russian minority or where Russian or Soviet soldiers spilt blood are candidates for incorporation into the Greater Russia he aspires to lead.

Whatever the outcome of the present Russian aggression in Ukraine, Russia has already lost the hearts and minds of Ukrainians for generations to come. That is something we as a nation, and the rest of Europe, will have to address.

In 1945 Soviet Russia was part of the Nazi prosecution process at Nuremberg. So they know fine well the war crime categories, like waging aggressive war. And their Ambassador has been reminded by our Defence Secretary of their obligations under the Geneva and other Conventions.

So using cluster bombs and thermobaric bombs and attacks on civilians will have consequences for the leadership, and I'm pleased that evidence gathering is already under way.

We all recognise that there no physical force we can bring to bear to help Ukraine and increase the cost to Russia. But we can target the leadership and their cronies who have stolen the wealth of the Russian people and who have been recycling it through the UK - especially London - for many years. . Transparency International UK have identified £1.5 billion of property in the UK bought with suspicious Russian wealth

It's time to dust off the Unexplained Wealth Orders - not delay again while legislation is revised. And to shame those lawyers who seek to defend the indefensible

It is a puzzle and a concern, which the Prime Minister's bluster in Parliament can't disguise, that so few rich Russian individuals have been sanctioned by the UK so far. Abramovich's private jet has been tracked this morning flying into Turkey, and a helicopter landed on his yacht in the Caribbean. He's trying to sell off London assets.

We should be making Putin's cronies foot the bill for the energy crisis which they have stoked, by seizing their assets in the UK and using the funds as an 'oligarch tax' to offset rising energy bills.

But at the rate the government is moving, there will be nothing left to seize. We risk letting Kremlin-linked oligarchs get away with it through a mass 'firesale' of their assets.

Liberal Democrats - and I'm sure the Labour Party would agree - propose the accelerated passage of the Registration of Overseas Entities Bill and the Economic Crime Bill, which will provide greater transparency and beef up the resources available to enforcement agencies going after suspicious wealth.

I hope most sincerely that a time will come - sooner rather than later - when rebuilding can start. Of shattered towns and cities, shattered lives and shattered trust. We must be as generous then as we are being with our supplies of weapons now. It was the Marshall Plan that put Europe back on its feet in the 1940's and ushered in decades of peace. The same will be needed again.

In conclusion, I commend to you the words of the Ukraine National Anthem, which even in translation are particularly poignant as we watch Putin's war machine on TV trying to destroy a nation

Ukraine is not yet dead

Nor its glory and freedom

Luck will still smile on us

Brother-Ukranians

Our enemies will die

As the dew does in the sunshine

And we, too, brothers

We'll live happily in our land.

We'll not spare

Either our souls or our bodies

To get freedom

And we'll prove that we brothers

Are of Kozak kin

Cllr Wendy Taylor added :

The situation in Ukraine is devastating and I am close to tears when I watch this tragedy unfolding. We are seeing hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians trying to get their families to safety in other countries and we should be doing everything we can to help them.

As many of you will know, my mother was a refugee from Nazi Germany and I know from what she told me how hard it was for her and how much she appreciated the people who went out of their way to help her. I also recall the time when Ugandan Asians were expelled from their country and how the UK made them welcome. I was so proud of my parents who invited a family of Ugandan Asians into our home.

We know that many people in Newcastle are ready to help with donations and offering accommodation to refugees, which makes it even more shameful that the Tory Government is having to be dragged inch by inch towards making a real commitment to the Ukrainians now fleeing Putin's war machine.

Even as the Russian missiles rain down and a huge convoy advances on Kyiv, the Home Secretary is still refusing to open a fast and simple refugee scheme for Ukrainian refugees. Worse still, she is pressing ahead with her vicious Anti-Refugee Bill that would criminalise any Ukrainians who come here to seek asylum.

The Government should withdraw that Bill, and immediately establish a fast, safe route for Ukrainian refugees to come to the UK.

Our country and our City have a proud history of providing sanctuary to people fleeing war and persecution and I'm delighted that we are unanimous tonight in confirming our desire to support displace Ukrainian refugees. We must not abandon them in their hour of need.