Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 November 2025.

The Foreign Secretary welcomes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha to London for next steps on the 100 Year Partnership.

• The Foreign Secretary will welcome Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha to London for next steps on the 100 Year Partnership
• Boost for UK and Ukraine’s next generation with expansion of successful school partnerships programme.
• Ukraine’s recovery is a priority for UK security with £5.2 million of new reconstruction funding for hospitals and roads supporting critical national infrastructure

New funding for three major reconstruction projects in Ukraine, including two hospitals and an extensive road project, will be announced today as part of the UK-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue.

And in a boost to the next generation in both countries, more British and Ukrainian school children than ever will be able to participate in the landmark 100 Year Partnership schools programme, delivered through the British Council. The schools partnership programme initially launched earlier this year, with 50 schools in the UK matched with 50 schools in Ukraine on a year-long reading project, with pupils sharing their favourite stories from their own cultures. 

New funding will support 30 additional schools across both countries, with an estimated 5,000 additional pupils benefitting from the landmark partnership to drive education standards across both nations. 

The new support comes as the Foreign Secretary welcomes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha to London today [Thursday 13 November] for the Strategic Dialogue. They will discuss the long-term and strategic partnership between the UK and Ukraine, reaffirming the shared commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and democratic future.  

The UK continues to be a key partner in helping broker a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and ensure that they are in the strongest position possible now and for future generations. 

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:  

Ukraine’s security is our security. Through our 100 Year Partnership, we commit to stand with Ukraine not just today or tomorrow, but for many decades and generations to come, deepening our economic, security and cultural ties. 

Time and again, Putin shows he is willing to threaten the lives of civilians, take children from their families and destroy critical infrastructure. The UK’s support will help reconstruction of hospitals and critical national infrastructure as well as building connections between our countries for years to come.  

Our support for Ukraine is stronger than ever. 

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

I was lucky enough to grow up with a grandfather who passed on his love of reading to me – opening up my world and shaping who I am today. Reading is one of the greatest gifts a child can receive, building empathy, widening horizons and helping us to see the world through others’ eyes.

For children in Ukraine, who are dealing with hardships that many of us can’t comprehend, this programme is creating something truly special – bringing young people together through stories, building understanding and friendship, and forging bonds between schools. It’s wonderful that, as part of our Plan for Change and 100 Year Partnership, another 5,000 pupils will now have the chance to be part of it.

Deepening the UK and Ukraine’s partnership through education, culture and research ties is pivotal to the 100 Year Partnership. This week, three UK universities, Birkbeck – University of London, Durham University and Edge Hill University, will sign an agreement with the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies, enabling them to strengthen partnerships on education, research and cultural links.  

The UK continues to give Ukraine its ironclad support. Building on the signing of the 100 Year Partnership in January, today’s meeting further solidifies the growing cooperation between the UK and Ukraine, and the incredible potential for our countries and generations to thrive for years to come. 

Notes to editors  

• More information on the 100 Year Partnership can be found here. 
• More information on the UK’s support to Ukraine can be found here.  
• More information on the British Council UK-Ukraine School Partnerships programme can be found here 
• More information on the university twinning initiative and its 2025 report can be found here
• The Strategic Dialogue was established under the 2020 Strategic Partnership Agreement. It sets clear bilateral priorities across eight key areas including security, trade, energy, and culture, culminating in a leader-level meeting and joint communique. 
• The inaugural Strategic Dialogue was held in December 2021. It was paused following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and is now being relaunched to set clear priorities across growth, reform, and security, and to build on the momentum of the 100YP signed in January 2025.  
• It aims to demonstrate long-term UK leadership and commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, resilience and recovery. 
• These objectives directly support the PM’s Plan for Change by advancing UK growth and economic resilience through trade and innovation, and reinforcing our global leadership in security and democratic values.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 November 2025.

Politico-Military Counsellor Ankur Narayan highlights that Russia’s claims of inevitable victory in Ukraine are undermined by minimal territorial gains, unsustainable casualties, and severe economic strain. The UK and its partners remain resolute in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia’s ongoing aggression.

Madam Chair, Russia’s victory in Ukraine is not inevitable.  

Russia has repeatedly tried to persuade Ukraine’s supporters and the wider world that its victory in Ukraine is inevitable.  Despite sustained aggression and significant investment of personnel and resources, Russia has made only marginal territorial gains since its full-scale invasion in February 2022.  After nearly four years since its illegal invasion, Russia controls less than 20% of Ukrainian territory. This is up from the 7% it claimed to control before February 2022.  Since the frontlines stabilised in November 2022, Russia has gained just 1.1% more territory, at the cost of over one million casualties. 

Russia’s military advances remain slow and costly. Reported Russian advances in September and October were the smallest since April.  It has taken over a year for Russia to advance 15 kilometres towards Pokrovsk, suffering nearly 100,000 casualties in doing so. The city’s infrastructure has been largely destroyed, offering little strategic value. 

Russia’s losses are unsustainable.  Over 320,000 casualties have been recorded in 2025 alone, and the Kremlin is increasingly reliant on inexperienced recruits.  Reports indicate that many receive less than three weeks of training before being deployed. Desertions reportedly exceed 50,000, and coercive practices within the ranks are widespread. 

Russia’s economy is also under strain.  The IMF has revised its 2025 growth forecast down to 0.6%, from 4.3% in 2024.  Military spending now exceeds $159 billion.  That is over a third of the national budget.  Tax revenues from oil and gas have declined 27% year-on-year, and Russia has already depleted over half of its liquid sovereign wealth fund since February 2022.  Those around President Putin are admitting that the economy is in trouble.  The Head of Sberbank, Herman Gref, warned that interest rates would have to be cut to 12% from their current 16.5% to “create hope” for an economic recovery. Alexander Shokhin, Head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, said that “the cooling, or well managed soft landing, is neither very soft nor very well managed.” 

Sanctions continue to have a significant impact.  Russia has lost access to $450 billion in assets, and 80% of its banking system is under sanction.  Import costs for strategic goods have risen by 122%, and domestic production of microchips remains unreliable. Chinese financial institutions are increasingly distancing themselves from Russian entities, further limiting Russia’s economic options. 

The burden of war is increasingly falling on Russian citizens.  Value Added Tax (VAT) has been raised from 20% to 22%, and social spending is facing real-term cuts. Food price inflation and new tax thresholds are placing additional pressure on households and small businesses. 

Madam Chair, Russia’s military and economic trajectory does not support its narrative of inevitable victory.  This is a war characterised by minimal territorial gains, at disproportionate cost in lives and livelihoods.  Ukraine continues to resist with determination and capability.  To that end, the UK – and Ukraine’s many other international partners – remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 November 2025.

Ambassador Holland condemns Russia’s recurrent strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, highlighting severe humanitarian impacts and nuclear safety risks. Russia’s proposals for a settlement would last only until Moscow decided it wanted more. A settlement that rewards territorial theft would only guarantee future war.

Thank you, Chair.  Last weekend, Russia again struck Ukraine’s power system with large waves of drones and missiles, killing civilians, damaging energy facilities across multiple regions and triggering blackouts.    

Russia has insisted that it targets only military-relevant facilities and that anything short of plunging Ukraine into total darkness – which would bring with it a nuclear catastrophe – was showing restraint.  This argument collapses on contact with the facts.   

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has assessed Russia’s campaign against Ukraine’s electricity network as likely violating international humanitarian law because of its predictable, severe and widespread civilian impacts on heating, water, sanitation, healthcare and education.  Recurrent strikes on energy infrastructure are not restraint.  They are deepening humanitarian harm as winter approaches. 

These attacks also endanger nuclear safety.  The IAEA has warned repeatedly that degrading Ukraine’s external power supplies and striking grid nodes that feed nuclear facilities create a persistent risk to reactor and spent-fuel cooling.  We are one accident away from a catastrophe for the region.  Recent incidents forcing plants to use backup power underline how fragile safety margins are in a war zone. 

True to form, Russia returns to deception and deflection, using its disinformation machine to spread lies of “western sabotage” rather than demonstrate some responsible behaviour.  

Chair, we do not doubt the sincerity of Russia’s stated desire for a “long-term settlement” to this war.  For Russia, it has been a strategic disaster, has sadly resulted in more than a million Russian casualties, and has led Russia’s economy into very troubled waters.  But what Russia actually wants is to bake its violation of our shared principles into any settlement.  To force Ukraine and the rest of us to accept aggression as the new normal.  Its so-called conditions for peace would reward invasion, legitimise occupation, and give Russia a veto over its neighbour’s future.  That is not peace: it is coercion dressed up as diplomacy.  And it would not be for the long-term: it would last only until Moscow decided that it wanted more. 

Russia has argued that its security interests need to be considered in any settlement.  In fact, the UK agrees with this.  But we believe that Russia’s security interests – like the rest of ours – are best served by respecting the principles and laws that we have all collectively agreed.  But when the Kremlin talks of its security interests, it does not mean the many; it means the few. 

The UK remains strongly in support of peace – and has been firmly behind US and Ukrainian efforts to end this war.   

A just and lasting peace is not a slogan; it means upholding the foundational principles of global peace and security that we have all committed to.  A settlement that rewards territorial theft would only guarantee future war.  Peace built on justice and shared principles can endure.  Peace built on fear and force will not.     

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 November 2025.

UK Minister for International Development, Jenny Chapman will confirm UK support for Rohingya refugees, including women and girls, while visiting Bangladesh this week (13–14 November 2025).

During her visit, Minister Chapman will see UK-funded programmes supporting Rohingya refugees to help prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).  

The UK continues to call for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar when conditions allow. This visit follows the recent announcement of a new £27 million package of  aid to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to over half a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. 

While in Bangladesh, the Minister will also meet with key figures in the Interim Government, including Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, and Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Ashik Chowdhury. She will also attend a roundtable focused on UK–Bangladesh cooperation on irregular migration. 

UK Minister for International Development, Baroness Chapman said: 

The UK is proud to stand with Bangladesh as a true partner. From supporting the Rohingya refugees being hosted by Bangladeshi communities, to tackling the climate crisis and irregular migration, our work together is delivering real and positive impacts for both our countries.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said: 

This visit underscores the UK’s commitment to a modern, mutually beneficial development partnership with Bangladesh.

Minister Chapman will also announce the UK will provide new support to tackle the impacts of the climate crisis in twelve Asian and African countries and regions, including Bangladesh while on the visit. This includes UK help to build resilience for vulnerable and food-insecure households and communities through the Resilience and Adaptation Fund. This will provide skills training in areas like climate-resilient farming techniques designed to withstand seasonal flooding and cyclones to tens of thousands of households. 

 Notes to editors: 

1. The UK announced a £27 million package of aid in September to provide food, shelter, clean water, and other life-saving services to half a million Rohingya refugees displaced from Myanmar by conflict and persecution. The UK is a leading long-term contributor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, having provided over £447 million since 2017. 
2. The UK will provide a £30 million uplift to the Resilience and Adaptation Fund. £4 million has been allocated to Bangladesh, with eleven other countries and regions also set to receive funding (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Sahel, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Uganda).

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 November 2025.

Statement by the UK’s Ambassador for Human Rights to the UN, Eleanor Sanders, at Libya’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you Mr Vice President.

The UK welcomes recent steps by the Libyan government, including extending ICC jurisdiction to 2027 and supporting the renewal of OHCHR’s technical assistance.

However, we remain gravely concerned by escalating human rights violations and abuses, particularly arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and torture, committed with near-total impunity.

We also call for meaningful engagement in the UN’s political process. Lasting peace and stability are vital to advancing human rights.

We recommend that Libya:

1. Ensures access and accountability by allowing unrestricted entry for UN bodies and NGOs to all areas, including detention centres and mass graves, and fully cooperating with investigations into disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings.
2. Ends abuse of migrants and refugees by closing detention centres linked to torture, sexual violence and killings, and establishes a fair asylum system in line with international law.
3. Advances women’s rights by: repealing discriminatory laws, notably Penal Code Article 424; criminalising all forms of sexual and gender-based violence including online; and ensuring women’s full participation in politics and peacebuilding.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 November 2025.

UK announces new support to make vital repairs to Ukraine’s energy sector and reallocates humanitarian support for those most impacted by the loss of power, heating, and water this winter.

• Foreign Secretary announcing £13 million of funding to help repair Ukraine’s energy sector at G7
• Ukrainian resilience in the face of Putin’s attacks is central to UK and G7 security
• UK to establish maritime services ban on Russian Liquid Natural Gas

UK announces new support to make vital repairs to Ukraine’s energy sector in the face of Russian bombardment, alongside reallocating humanitarian support for those most impacted by the loss of power, heating, and water this winter.

Our support will help Ukraine restore vital energy infrastructure, keeping the lights on and the heating on in Ukrainian homes, hospitals and schools — even in the face of relentless attacks – which is paramount to the UK’s steadfast support for the country. 

Russia has actively chosen to make Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure a target throughout the war. Now as we enter a cold winter, they are escalating brutal attacks on power and heating networks, as Putin tries to grind the Ukrainian people down. However, Ukraine continues to show remarkable resilience keeping the lights on against the odds. 

As the Kremlin scrambles to expand its Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) exports to prop up its creaking war economy, the UK has today announced its intention to introduce a maritime services ban on Russian LNG, building on the recent targeting of Russia’s two largest oil companies – Rosneft and Lukoil.

This action will significantly reduce Russian exports of LNG and directly cut off access to the UK’s world-leading maritime services. The ban will be phased in over 2026 in lockstep with our European partners.

In addition, the £13 million winter package will help them to carry out vital repairs and deliver support those worst-hit by the loss of power, water & heating, ensuring Ukrainians can keep the lights and heating on as winter starts to bite.

Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:

Putin is trying to plunge Ukraine into darkness and the cold as winter approaches.

These cowardly strikes are not only an attack on Ukraine’s security, but a threat to the UK’s economic security, stability and growth.

Ukraine’s security is our security and that’s why here at the G7, we are standing together as the closest of partners to drive forward support for Ukraine and overcome the challenges the world is facing today.

The Foreign Secretary makes these announcements as she attends the G7 Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Niagara, Canada where she will galvanise our closest partners to continue to stand up for Ukraine in the face of Putin’s mindless aggression.

Economic security, growth and action on migration will remain top of the Foreign Secretary’s agenda at the G7, as she pushes the multilateral system to deliver for Brits back at home.

In particular, the Foreign Secretary will highlight the critical importance of economic security for both growth and for national security across the G7 – and will warn of the risks of excess dependence on a small number of countries for vital materials including rare earths.

Building on the work already underway by the UK government domestically, she will call for the G7 to go further to coordinate efforts to boost supply chain resilience – including to share learnings between partners, and align on efforts to diversify supply chains in third countries.

Canada is among the UK’s closest foreign policy allies – our countries are the only two to be members of the Five Eyes, NATO, G7, and the Commonwealth. Before commencing the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Foreign Secretary met Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, then joined her to pay respects to the British, Canadian and Commonwealth soldiers who gave their lives for our collective freedom on Remembrance Day.

Background

• More information on the UK’s support to Ukraine can be found here
• The UK has committed over £450 million for energy security and resilience in Ukraine
• The UK banned the import of Russian LNG in January 2023. We are now going a step further by banning maritime transport and related services—like insurance—for Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to third countries. UK-linked ships and services won’t be allowed to help move Russian LNG globally.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 November 2025.

UK Statement for Liberia’s Universal Periodic Review. Delivered at the 50th session of the UPR in Geneva.

Thank you, Madame Vice President,

The United Kingdom thanks the Liberian delegation for setting out its efforts to protect human rights. We welcome the steps taken to make progress on reconciliation and transitional justice, including early steps to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court.

However, we remain concerned about ongoing discrimination against marginalised groups and continued barriers faced by women and girls in accessing their fundamental human rights, including continued high levels of gender-based violence, female genital mutilation and limited access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

We recommend that Liberia:

1. Abolishes the death penalty, in line with obligations under the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR.
2. Protects the human rights of individuals belonging to marginalised groups by preventing discrimination, guaranteeing equal treatment under the law and ensuring full access to justice.
3. Fully complies with the Maputo Protocol, criminalising all forms of female genital mutilation.

The UK looks forward to continuing our work with the government, civil society organisations and human rights defenders from across the region to advance human rights in Liberia. 

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 November 2025.

Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer visits the region to support peace efforts and humanitarian initiatives.

• New UK-funded operating bases and training help the Lebanese Army deliver regional security
• Support for vulnerable civilians and refugees in Lebanon announced by Minister to be delivered by the Lebanese Red Cross
• Minister supports humanitarian efforts across the Middle East as he visits Egyptian hospital conducting UK-backed training of Egyptian doctors to support the treatment of Palestinian patients

The UK is continuing to step up and support peace in the Middle East and humanitarian efforts as Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer makes his first official visit to Lebanon.

Visiting a newly built UK-funded Forward Operating Base for the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Minister saw how the UK is supporting the Lebanese Army’s ability to increase their presence in the south and bolster regional stability. UK support to Lebanese security forces helps to maintain stability for the wider region.

Announcing £500,000 for the Lebanese Red Cross via the British Red Cross, the Minister emphasised how the UK will support them to boost crisis preparedness and disaster response. This is part of a broader package of UK aid to Lebanon that will provide humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable communities, including displaced civilians and refugees, to help them meet their basic needs.

Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer said:

Across the region, the UK is supporting efforts towards a lasting peace through tireless diplomacy, humanitarian support, and security cooperation.

In Lebanon, I saw the devastating impact of conflict and how UK support is strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces through new Forward Operating Bases and training. Our humanitarian programmes are helping communities to meet their basic needs and children return to learning.

In Egypt, I was privileged to see UK support in action. Delivered through WHO Egypt, UK funding is providing medical staff with the training required and vital equipment needed to deliver lifesaving care for Palestinians evacuated from Gaza.

The UK is determined to work with regional partners to build stability and hope for the future. It is these partnerships abroad that make us stronger at home.

During his visit to Lebanon, the Minister held talks with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, and Chief of Defence General Rudolph Haykal around the importance of security and advancing Lebanese state reforms.

In a trip that reflected on conflicts in the wider region and the current situation in Gaza, Minister Falconer also visited a hospital in Egypt which is treating medically evacuated Gazan patients and training Egyptian doctors to continue supporting future waves of medical evacuees from Gaza.

After healthcare provisions in Gaza have been decimated by bombardment and aid restrictions, the UK has supported those who have been medically evacuated to the wider region by providing funding to the WHO.

The £3m in funding over the conflict has helped to improve care for Palestinian patients evacuated from Gaza, and includes equipment and training for staff in hospitals treating complex injuries and long-term conditions.

The Minister also represented the UK at the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, a landmark cultural project showcasing Egypt’s heritage, and where the UK supported the Museum in achieving EDGE certification which recognises excellence in green building standards and sustainability.

The UK is working intensively with regional partners to prevent further escalation in the region. This includes pressing for humanitarian access into Gaza, and long-term security cooperation with Lebanon through development of infrastructure, training, and equipment for the Lebanese Armed Forces.

The goal is clear: we must turn these ceasefires into lasting peace and create the conditions for recovery and reconstruction across the region.