Russia massing on Ukraine's borders - Liberal Democrats seek debate at Newcastle City Council and message of support to Ukraine's Newcastle

Newcastle City Council 2022 - Notice of Motion

Council recognises that:
1. Ukraine is a sovereign, self-governing state who should be able freely to decide her own destiny.
2. Russia massing it troops along the Ukrainian border is an act of aggression.
3. The reports of the OSCE monitoring mission confirm continuing acts of violence in breach of the ceasefire.
4. The response to Russian aggression in the first instance must always be in the first instance to engage diplomatically with a view to de-escalation.
5. Any incursion by Russia into Ukrainian territory should be considered an act of war, and a clear breach of Russia's commitment to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances of December 1994, which the UK also signed.
6. Other European states have an important role in ensuring the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine
7. The right to self-determination, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes and the rule of law are fundamental values which must be protected.
Council notes that :
1. The land that is now known as Ukraine has seen human habitation for at least 35,000 years
2. The area experienced a golden age a millennium ago, including the birth of the Russian Orthodox religion.
3. Ukraine suffered the largest proportionate loss of population of any country during the Second World War.
4. The contribution of people of Ukranian descent to Newcastle, as well as family and academic links to that country, and the effect of the shooting down of flight MH17.
Council requests that:
The Lord Mayor sends a message of peace and solidarity to Borovets Mykola Petrovich the mayor of Mayor of Novohrad-Volynskyi, a member of the Newcastles of the World network; and to reassure Ukranian nationals and those of Ukranian descent in our city of our ongoing support and friendship.

Council resolves to call upon H M Government :

1. In the event of any territorial incursion into Ukraine, to impose swift, severe and wide-ranging sanctions on the Russian Government, its supporters and those accused of corruption who have exported wealth from Russia to London.
2. To publish immediately the long awaited report on the Tier 1 "golden visa" scheme, especially the 2,581 issued to Russians, and to pass legislation to establish a public register of the overseas owners of property in the UK.
3. To continue its physical and political support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the development of its institutions of democratic governance for the benefit of all its people.
4. To continue to support France and Germany in the Normandy Format to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreements in order to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
5. To increase military and diplomatic aid to other East European states, such as Poland and the Baltic states, to counter growing Russian hostility to them.
6. To promote the fundamental values of NATO amongst its members, including encouraging them to meet their treaty commitments which were reiterated in the Wales Summit Declaration in September 2014.

Proposed By: Cllr Robin Ashby