Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame to Downing Street today.

The Prime Minister reflected on the thirty-year anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi people in Rwanda, noting the importance of this time of remembrance and that it is a reminder of just how far Rwanda has come. President Kagame thanked the Prime Minister for the UK’s continued support.

They discussed regional security and the deteriorating conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The Prime Minister underlined the importance of a political process to resolve the situation.

The leaders also discussed the pioneering UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership which will break the business model of criminal gangs risking lives at sea, and the Prime Minister updated President Kagame on the next stages of the legislation in Parliament.

Both leaders looked forward to flights departing to Rwanda in the spring.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to France’s President Emmanuel Macron this afternoon.

The Prime Minister hailed the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale and exchange of troops at Buckingham Palace and the Elysée today as a powerful symbol of the enduring friendship between our nations.

The leaders looked ahead to the upcoming UK-hosted European Political Community meeting and committed to work together to deliver a successful summit that addresses a range of shared European priorities, including defending Ukraine, progressing cooperation on artificial intelligence and joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and organised crime.

On Ukraine, the Prime Minister and President agreed on the importance of intensifying efforts to deny Russia a victory in their war of aggression against Ukraine. They discussed priorities for the coming months, including increasing the supply of munitions, drones and air defence to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The leaders updated on ongoing cooperation to tackle small boats crossings and organised immigration crime, delivering on the partnership agreed at last year’s UK-France Summit. They shared their concerns at the increasingly dangerous and violent tactics being used by people smugglers and the Prime Minister said more needed to be done between European partners to prevent a devastating loss of life at sea.

The Prime Minister and President Macron also discussed the situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East. They shared their deep concern at the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reiterated the importance of securing an immediate pause in the fighting and taking steps to de-escalate regional tensions, including in Lebanon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 April 2024.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, this morning. He welcomed Finland’s historic accession to Nato and critical contribution to Euro-Atlantic security, particularly in the face of growing threats from Russia.

The leaders agreed it was vital to continue supporting Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression, including by increasing Nato countries’ domestic munitions production and stockpiles. They highlighted the importance of strengthening sanctions against Russia and unlocking finance for Ukraine’s defence and long-term recovery.

They also discussed the shared challenge of illegal migration, and the Prime Minister highlighted the need for innovative solutions across Europe.

The Prime Minister also expressed his condolences to the Finnish people for last week’s school attack, and looked forward to meeting Prime Minister Orpo the European Political Community meeting in the UK in July.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 13 March 2024.

Hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters wrongly convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal will have convictions quashed following landmark legislation introduced today [Wednesday 13 March].

Hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters wrongly convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal will have convictions quashed following landmark legislation introduced today [Wednesday 13 March].

This blanket exoneration, delivered through the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill, will quash convictions brought about by erroneous Horizon evidence, clearing the names of many people who have had their lives ruined.

Affected sub-postmasters will receive an interim payment with the option of immediately taking a fixed and final offer of £600,000, so that they can finally begin to rebuild their lives.

Under the proposed Bill, convictions will be automatically quashed if they meet the following criteria:

• Were prosecuted by the Post Office or Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
• Were for offences carried out in connection with Post Office business between 1996 and 2018.
• Were for relevant offences such as theft, fraud and false accounting.
• Were against sub-postmasters, their employees, officers, family members or direct employees of the Post Office working in a Post Office that used the Horizon system software.

Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak MP, said:

I want to pay tribute to all the postmasters who have shown such courage and perseverance in their fierce campaign for justice, and to those who tragically won’t see the justice they deserve.

While I know that nothing can make up for what they’ve been through, today’s legislation marks an important step forward in finally clearing their names.

We owe it to the victims of this scandal who have had their lives and livelihoods callously torn apart, to deliver the justice they’ve fought so long and hard for, and to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”

The Government has also confirmed it will bring forward enhanced financial redress for postmasters who were not convicted, or part of legal action against the Post Office, but who still suffered considerably due to Horizon failures. These individuals, also known as the Horizon Shortfall Scheme cohort, will have the option to receive a fixed sum payment of £75,000.

Those who have already settled for less money will have their redress topped up to this level bringing them in line with the successful approach taken for members of the Group Litigation Order group of postmasters.

The Department for Business and Trade will now be responsible for delivering the new Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme which will make redress payments to those who have had their convictions quashed by today’s legislation. The aim is to have the scheme open for applications as soon as possible once the legislation has been passed.

Postal Affairs Minister, Kevin Hollinrake MP, said:

Postmasters have been fighting for justice for years, and I hope the introduction of today’s legislation is the light at the end of the tunnel they have been waiting for.

It is only right that postmasters have access to swift and fair compensation which is why those with overturned convictions have the option of immediately taking a fixed and final offer of £600,000 and why we are changing the rules for those in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, so they are entitled to a £75,000 fixed sum award, bypassing the assessment process.

For those who don’t choose this option, their claims can be assessed as part of the usual scheme process, in which there is no limit to compensation.”

Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch MP, said:

It is absolutely right that we sweep away the convictions wrongly given to postmasters on the basis of bad evidence, and it is a disgrace that they were ever pursued by the Post Office.

This is just the latest step in the road to delivering the justice the postmasters deserve. Since the High Court ruling in December 2019, this government has established a Statutory Inquiry, paid millions in compensation, supportedlegal fees for victims and announced plans to overturn convictions.

That is government in action, and we won’t rest until every victim receives the compensation they are entitled to.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk MP, said:

Today’s legislation is a watershed moment for sub-postmasters who have campaigned tirelessly for justice in the wake of the Horizon scandal.

These are exceptional circumstances which require an exceptional response to ensure those who were wrongly convicted can not only clear their names but be fairly and swiftly compensated.”

The Horizon IT Scandal is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history which dates back to the 1990s, and this Government has gripped it to right the wrongs of the past. But this doesn’t come from a standing start – the Government has spent years getting us to this point.

In February 2020, the Government launched the independent Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry to get to the bottom of what happened and ensure it can never happen again. The first government-funded compensation payment was paid out via the Horizon Shortfall Scheme in March 2021 and – since then – it has paid out around 60% of all claims. This amounts to around £179 million to over 2,800 claimants – but this legislation will speed up justice and get the rightful redress for victims much more rapidly.

The Bill will extend and apply to England and Wales. The Government will continue to work closely with their counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland as they develop their own plans. Regardless of where or how convictions are quashed, redress will be paid to victims across the whole of the UK on the same basis.

The Horizon Compensation Advisory Board’s Chair, Professor Christopher Hodges, said:

The Government has taken rapid and decisive action to address the widespread injustice to which we drew attention in December.

We also welcome the Government’s decision to take direct responsibility for delivering fair compensation to those whose convictions are overturned.”

Kevan Jones, Labour MP for North Durham and member of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, said:

It’s great news that the Government has taken the advice of the independent Advisory Board, on which I sit, and introduced the Post Office Offences Bill.

This will exonerate hundreds of victims who were convicted as a result of the Post Office Horizon IT system.

It is essential that we get this Bill passed as soon as possible before Summer recess so that those affected can get the justice and compensation they have fought so long for.”

The Government acknowledges the risk that this legislation could quash convictions of people who were genuinely guilty of a crime. In line with the wishes of campaigners the Government will make all efforts to ensure this is targeted on those wrongly convicted and make sure nobody who defrauded the system is able to access taxpayer-funded compensation.

Before receiving financial redress, sub-postmasters will be required to sign a legal statement vowing that they did not commit the crime for which they were originally convicted. Any person found to have signed a statement falsely in order to gain financial redress may be guilty of fraud.

The Government will continue to push this legislation through Parliament with the aim of achieving Royal Assent as soon as possible ahead of summer recess. Redress will be delivered as swiftly as possible after the quashing of convictions are processed.

The Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, which includes long time parliamentary campaigners on this issue such as Lord Arbuthnot, Professor Christopher Hodges and Kevan Jones MP, has warmly welcomed the proposed legislation.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 March 2024.

Inspirational women from across the country were invited to Downing Street last week to celebrate International Women’s Day 2024.

Last week began with a reception at No10 to celebrate inspirational female leaders, attended by over 100 guests across a wide range of industries from businesses to civil society and the NHS.

The event featured a showcase of female-led small businesses, including family-run jewellery company Loel & Co, curly hair products by Bouclème and boxed wine from Laylo.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

I am committed to delivering the long-term change needed to build a brighter future for women and girls.

And we’ve made huge progress since I became Prime Minister – investing millions to ensure women feel safe on our streets, ensuring girls receive a world class education by boosting standards and championing STEM careers, giving women more choice with the largest ever childcare expansion in England’s history and launching the Women’s Health Strategy and Pharmacy First, making it easier for women to get the care they need more quickly.

But I know there is more to do. Whether it’s making our NHS faster, simpler and fairer for women, or backing female-led businesses, I am determined to deliver the long-term change needed to grow our economy and ensure women across the whole country can succeed.

Minister for Women, and Minister for Women’s Health Strategy, Maria Caulfield said:

International Women’s Day is about celebrating women, but also demanding more for women in every part of their lives. Our Women’s Health Strategy sets out our ambitions to make our healthcare system faster, simply and fairer for women.

We are delivering for women up and down the country by rolling out women’s health hubs, bringing all the services women will need across their life under one roof. We have also saved women going through the menopause £15 million a year via new Hormone Replacement Therapy prescription prepayment certificates. This year we’re focusing on improving maternity, care for menstrual problems and conditions like endometriosis and supporting more research into women’s health.

We must also be wise. Closing the gender pay gap between women and men could add an additional £250 billion to the UK economy, so we are using evidence-based actions to tackle inequalities and empower women to flourish.

Last week, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work Mims Davies convened a roundtable at Downing Street with female business leaders, health professionals, charities and academics to better understand how the government and business can support women experiencing menopause in the workplace.

Mims Davies MP, Minister for Disabled People, Health & Work, said:

It was an honour to bring women, and businesses, together for Downing Street’s first menopause employer roundtable this week to discuss what more can be done to support women in the workplace.

With one in ten women between 40 and 60 considering quitting their job due to a lack of employment support, we are working with sectors, businesses and the Government’s Menopause Employment Champion Helen Tomlinson to break the menopause taboo and help women thrive throughout their careers.

On Friday, Mrs Murty hosted a special mentoring session with female role models and business leaders for girls and young women at Downing Street. This is part of the ‘Lessons at 10’ programme, which provides children from across the country with the uniqueopportunity see behind the scenes of the famous black door and with the help of special guests, industry experts and incredible charitable organisations, Lessons at 10 hopes to bring education to life, encourage a love of learning and inspire children fromacross the UK.

The event was delivered together with The Girls’ Network, a charity that partners with secondary schools and colleges across England to offer girls, aged 14-19, a year-long mentoring programme to support their ambitions.

Akshata Murty said:

I’m so pleased to be marking this International Women’s Day by celebrating women in business. It is fantastic to host a special mentoring session with female role models and business leaders for girls and young women at Downing Street.

I know the phenomenal work that goes into running a business. My mother’s endeavours in science, technology, engineering and maths allowed her to push boundaries both academically and professionally and gave her a ringside seat to the technological revolution.

I hope other women and girls are inspired by role models around them to pursue their own passions.

Katie Thiselton, Co-Executive Director, The Girls’ Network said:

This is such a great opportunity for our young women to speak with incredible women from a wide range of backgrounds and professions about their careers, the challenges they have faced and what inspires them.

At The Girls’ Network we often say ‘if you can see it, you can be it’ so giving girls access to women, from so many different walks of life will hopefully show them that anything is possible.

We hope that by being invited into No10, girls will see that spaces like this are just as much for them as anyone else.  It will be a memorable experience for all involved and I’m sure the girls will come away feeling inspired and motivated in their own journeys.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 March 2024.

The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments under the provisions in the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021:

• Baroness Penn as a Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State);
• Baroness Swinburne as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Prime Minister gives his very best wishes to Baroness Penn for her maternity leave.

In addition, His Majesty has been pleased to approve the appointment of Lord Offord of Garvel as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State solely in the Department for Business and Trade.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 25 February 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will chair Cabinet meeting in Yorkshire and the Humber on Monday, confirming unprecedented transport funding package for areas in the North and Midlands.

The Prime Minister is set to chair a Cabinet meeting in the Yorkshire & Humber region tomorrow (Monday 26 February).

It comes as the Transport Secretary is set to announce the funding allocations of the Local Transport Fund across the North and Midlands which empowers local authorities to invest in the transport projects that matter most to their communities.

This investment package has been made possible through reallocated HS2 funding and will deliver an unprecedented long term transport funding uplift across the North and Midlands.

At Cabinet, the Prime Minister will call on ministers and MPs to hold local authorities to account to ensure the funding is used appropriately and that the voices of local people are heard when decisions are made on where this funding goes and how this funding is spent.

The Transport Secretary is expected to update Cabinet on the delivery of Network North and how the Government is sticking to the plan to better connect communities through improved transport infrastructure across the country.

The Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and ministers across government will also meet with communities, businesses, and organisations across the North and Midlands to discuss their priorities for the Local Transport Fund and how their area can best benefit from the funding.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Local transport is at the heart of connecting our communities and this government has a clear plan to level up our country with greater transport links that people need right across the UK.

The long term decision to reallocate funding from HS2 marked a step change in how we invest in transport infrastructure across the country. It gave us the opportunity to put £36 billion into projects that will make a real difference – benefiting more people, in more places, more quickly.

Tomorrow marks a historic moment for the North and Midlands. We are investing billions directly across the region through the first of its kind Local Transport Fund – which fully empowers local people to invest in the transport priorities that matter most to them and their communities.

Whether it’s repaired roads, or refurbished train and bus stations – it will be local leaders who decide what transport projects to invest in based on local needs. This is part of our long-term plan to build a brighter future for generations to come.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Tomorrow’s multi-billion-pound investment is unprecedented and will be transformational for smaller cities, towns, and rural communities across the North and the Midlands. This funding increase is only possible because this government is willing to take tough decisions like reallocating funding from the second phase of HS2.

We are sticking to our plan to level up communities with greater transport links right across the country. This investment is going to make a real difference to millions of people for years to come, empowering local authorities to drive economic growth, level up communities, and improve the daily transport connections that people rely on.

This investment demonstrates our commitment to reinvest all of the £19.8 billion from the Northern leg of HS2 in the North and all of the £9.6 billion from the Midlands leg in the Midlands, while the £6.5 billion saved through the new approach at Euston will be spread across every other region in the country.

This government recognises that investing in the right transport projects in the right places is key to spreading opportunity across the country.

We have a clear plan to better connect the country and we’re already making progress by delivering the biggest ever increase in funding for local road improvements with an extra £8.3 billion, enough to resurface more than 5,000 miles of local roads across England, with the first tranche of funding already delivered from this financial year.

We’ve also invested over £200 million to extend the £2 bus fare cap in England outside London until the end of 2024 and £1 billion to improve bus services in the North and the Midlands, with £150 million delivered from April this year. Since the £2 bus fare cap was introduced across England on 1 January 2023, millions of passengers have benefitted from lower fares.

Taken together, this shows that the Government is delivering on our plan to improve local transport and drive better connectivity across the country – building a brighter future for generations to come.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 February 2024.

The leaders of G7 countries issued a joint statement on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

We the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) met today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine and salute once more the bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people who have been fighting tirelessly for Ukraine’s freedom and democratic future.

They have resisted for two years Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked full-scale invasion which constitutes a blatant violation of the UN Charter. They have proven their will to defeat President Putin’s war machine, restore their nation’s territorial integrity, and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.

President Putin has failed to achieve his strategic objective of subjugating Ukraine. Instead, he is forcing his own people to pay a heavy price for his government’s reckless actions each day. He has drained Russia’s resources to fund an unnecessary war, torn Russian families apart, and claimed hundreds of thousands of Russian lives.

We remain convinced that we can ensure the people of Ukraine prevail in fighting for their future and help to forge a comprehensive, just and durable peace.

On this occasion, we also pay tribute to the extraordinary courage of Alexei Navalny and stand with his wife, children, and loved ones. He sacrificed his life fighting against the Kremlin’s corruption and for free and fair elections in Russia. We call on the Russian government to fully clarify the circumstances around his death. We equally call on the Russian government to free all unjustly detained prisoners and to stop the persecution of political opposition and the systematic repression of Russians’ rights and freedoms. We will hold those culpable for Navalny’s death accountable, including by continuing to impose restrictive measures in response to human rights violations and abuses in Russia and taking other actions.

1.

We will continue to support Ukraine’s right to self-defence and reiterate our commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security, including by concluding and implementing bilateral security commitments and arrangements, based on the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine we endorsed in Vilnius last July. We are stepping up our security assistance to Ukraine and are increasing our production and delivery capabilities, to assist the country.

Ten years after the Maidan protests, we stand with the Ukrainian government and people as they buttress the foundations of their democratic state through vital reforms, especially to reinforce their justice system and rule of law, and tackle corruption. These endeavours are part of Ukraine’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration. We praise Ukraine’s achievements to date and welcome the European Council’s decision last December to open accession negotiations with Ukraine. We welcome Ukraine’s progress towards meeting the IMF Extended Fund Facility programme’s conditionality.

Russia must not succeed in wrecking Ukraine’s economy to make up for its failures on the battlefield. We will help Ukraine meet its urgent financing needs, and assist other vulnerable countries severely affected by the impacts of Russia’s war. We strongly welcome the EU’s approval of the Ukraine Facility of EUR 50 billion. It will provide crucial financial support to Ukraine until 2027. We also welcome additional economic support others have approved as we seek to close Ukraine’s remaining financing gap, as well as Japan’s swift delivery of its budget support in the first quarter of 2024 and Canada’s new funding. We urge the approval of additional support to close Ukraine’s remaining budget gap for 2024.

Ukraine’s reconstruction, starting with early recovery measures, remains a key priority. We will continue to work, with the Ukrainian authorities and International Financial Institutions through the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine and by leveraging private investments. We welcome the Platform’s expansion to include the Republic of Korea, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Further to the successful Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction, we look forward to the Ukraine Recovery Conferences, to be hosted in Berlin in 2024 and in Rome in 2025.

2.

We call on Russia to immediately cease its war of aggression and completely and unconditionally withdraw its military forces from the internationally recognised territory of Ukraine. We call on all countries to uphold international law and in no way validate or condone Russia’s attempts to acquire territory by force. We will never recognise so-called “elections”, past and future, held by Russia in the territories of Ukraine, nor their results. Russia’s stated intention to hold votes for its Presidential elections in Ukrainian regions is an outrageous violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.

We strongly condemn Russia’s continuous brutal attacks on civilians and critical civil infrastructure and war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, including sexual violence. We strongly condemn Russia’s human rights violations in the territories Russia occupies. We remain committed to holding those responsible accountable for their atrocities against the people of Ukraine, in line with international law. We support investigations by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Prosecutor-General of Ukraine, and other national prosecutors within their jurisdictions. We welcome ongoing discussions in the Core Group, exploring the establishment of a tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. We call on Russia to release all persons it has unlawfully detained and to safely return all civilians it has illegally transferred or deported, starting with thousands of children. We welcome the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, launched by Ukraine and Canada. We also stress the importance of advancing towards an exchange of all prisoners of war and welcome efforts in this regard by other partner countries and actors. Finally, we will continue to support Ukrainian displaced persons and refugees and protect those in need. We reiterate our support for the Council of Europe Register of Damage for Ukraine.

As Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues to undermine global food security, we celebrate Ukraine’s success in significantly expanding food exports through the Black Sea, which will help feed the world. Thanks to Ukraine’s maritime corridor and the EU’s solidarity lanes, Ukraine is on track to export all grain from its 2023 harvest despite Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian ports and its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. We will continue to help Ukraine export its grain and agricultural products to the most vulnerable nations, including through the implementation of the Grain Verification Scheme that Ukraine will lead this year. We call on Russia to cease its efforts to weaponise food supply and support safe commercial navigation of the Black Sea.

Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, its posture of strategic intimidation and its undermining of arms control regimes are unacceptable. Threats by Russia of nuclear weapon use, let alone any use of nuclear weapons by Russia, in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine are inadmissible.

3.

We will continue to raise the cost of Russia’s war, degrade Russia’s sources of revenue and impede its efforts to build its war machine, as demonstrated by our recently approved sanctions packages. We remain committed to fully implementing and enforcing our sanctions on Russia and adopting new measures as necessary. We continue to counter, in close cooperation with third countries, any attempts to evade and circumvent our sanctions and export control measures. We will impose additional sanctions on companies and individuals in third countries who help Russia acquire weapons or key inputs for weapons. We will also impose sanctions on those who help Russia acquire tools and other equipment that aid Russian weapons production or military-industrial development.

We will continue to apply significant pressure on Russian revenues from energy and other commodities. We will continue to take steps to tighten compliance and enforcement of the oil price cap. While working to maintain supply stability, we will respond to price cap violations, including by imposing additional sanctions measures on those engaged in deceptive practices while transporting Russian oil and against the networks Russia has developed to extract additional revenue from price cap violations. We will continue taking steps to limit Russia’s future energy revenues. We will continue to impede Russia’s development of future energy projects and disrupt its development of alternatives for energy shipping and other services. We will continue efforts to reduce Russia’s revenues from metals.

We will continue to take action against third-country actors who materially support Russia’s war including by imposing additional measures on entities, where appropriate, in third countries. We call on financial institutions to refrain from supporting Russia’s war machine and we will take appropriate steps, consistent with our legal systems, to deter this behaviour. Financial institutions and other entities that facilitate Russia’s acquisition of items or equipment for its defence industrial base are supporting actions that undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine. We strongly condemn North Korea’s exports and Russia’s procurement of North Korea’s ballistic missiles in direct violation of relevant UNSCRs and call upon them to immediately cease such activities. We call upon Iran to stop assisting the Russian military and its war in Ukraine. We express our concern about transfers to Russia from businesses in the People’s Republic of China of dual-use materials and components for weapons and equipment for military production.

It is not right for Russia to decide if or when it will pay for the damage it has caused in Ukraine. These damages now exceed USD486 billion, according to the World Bank. Russia’s obligations under international law to pay for the damage it is causing are clear. We are determined to dispel any false notion that time is on Russia’s side, that destroying infrastructure and livelihoods has no consequences for Russia, or that Russia could prevail by causing Ukraine to fail economically. Russia should not be able to indefinitely delay payment it owes. We recognise the urgency of disrupting Russia’s attempts to destroy the Ukrainian economy and Russia’s continued failure to abide by its international law obligations. We are determined to ensure full accountability and we support Ukraine in obtaining compensation for the loss, injury and damage resulting from Russia’s aggression.

We reaffirm that, consistent with our respective legal systems, Russia’s sovereign assets in our jurisdictions will remain immobilised until Russia pays for the damage it caused to Ukraine. We welcome the adoption of the EU legal acts concerning extraordinary revenues of central securities depositories gained from Russia’s immobilised sovereign assets and encourage further steps to enable their use, consistent with applicable contractual obligations and in accordance with applicable laws. We ask our ministers to continue their work and update ahead of the Apulia Summit on all possible avenues by which immobilised Russian sovereign assets could be made use of to support Ukraine, consistent with our respective legal systems and international law.

4.

As we move forward, we continue our support to Ukraine in further developing President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula and commit ourselves to supporting a comprehensive, just and lasting peace consistent with the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respectful of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. As Ukraine enters the third year of this relentless war, its government and its people can count on the G7’s support for as long as it takes.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 February 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made a statement to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

When Putin launched his illegal invasion two years ago, the free world was united in its response. We stood together behind Ukraine. And on this grim anniversary, we must renew our determination.

I was in Kyiv just a few weeks ago and I met wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Each harrowing story was a reminder of Ukraine’s courage in the face of terrible suffering.

It was a reminder of the price they are paying not only to defend their country against a completely unjustified invasion, but also to defend the very principles of freedom, sovereignty and the rule of law, on which we all depend.

The UK is going further in our support. I announced last month the biggest single package of defence aid to Ukraine, taking our total support to £12 billion and signed a ten-year agreement on security cooperation – the first of its kind.

This is the moment to show that tyranny will never triumph and to say once again that we will stand with Ukraine today and tomorrow.

We are prepared to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, until they prevail.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 February 2024.

The Prime Minister spoke to Mauritius Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth, this morning.

The Prime Minister wished Prime Minister Jugnauth well whilst the country was experiencing the effects of Cyclone Eleanor.

The leaders assessed the progress made so far in the negotiations between Mauritius and the UK on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory/the Chagos Archipelago.

The Prime Minister reassured the Mauritian Prime Minister that the UK remains committed to a mutually beneficial outcome on BIOT and their teams look forward to continuing to work on this.