Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 August 2026.

Arron Newble, Counsellor for Politico-Military Affairs, marks Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day by praising the courage of Ukrainians defending their sovereignty, identity and culture against Russia’s illegal war, and reaffirms the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s legitimate self-defence and a just and lasting peace.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Today, Ukraine marks 35 years of independence. On 24 August 1991, the Ukrainian people chose sovereignty. They chose to take their place as a free and independent nation among equals. That choice was overwhelming. It was recognised by the international community, including the Russian Federation.

Thirty-five years later, Ukraine is defending that same choice against Russia’s illegal war of aggression. President Putin launched this war because he refused to accept Ukraine as a sovereign state, a distinct nation, and a free people. He claimed Ukraine was not real. He expected Ukrainians to yield. Instead, they have shown the strength of their independence and reminded the world that the will of peoples to defend their freedom and security will always be stronger than the will of those who want to take it away.

The central aim of Russia’s war has failed. Ukraine’s nationhood is not defined by the Kremlin. It is lived every day by Ukrainians: in their language, their culture, their service to their country, and their determination to decide their own future.

This war has never been only about territory. It is about identity, sovereignty and culture. Russia has sought not only to seize Ukrainian land, but to suppress Ukrainian life. We have seen Russian attacks on places of cultural and religious importance, pressure on communities under occupation, and attempts to rewrite what Ukrainian children are taught about their own country.

The latest Moscow Mechanism report underlines this pattern. It sets out how Russia has subjected Ukrainian children to indoctrination and militarisation, including through education and youth programmes.  This is part of Russia’s wider attempt to weaken Ukraine by targeting its future.

Russia has not achieved the political submission it sought. It has not achieved the military victory it expected. So it continues to turn to terror and destruction. Its missiles and drones strike homes, energy infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and sites of religious and cultural significance.

On the night of 19-20 August Russia launched another mass missile attack on Ukraine, killing at least 17 civilians. The following day, Russian drones struck a busy shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, killing a further 16 civilians and injuring more than 130. These attacks will not break Ukraine’s resolve. Instead, they expose the brutality of Russia’s campaign.

Ukraine’s fight is for its own survival. But it is also a fight for the principles that underpin Euro-Atlantic security: sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the right of peoples to choose their own future. Ukraine’s independence, and Ukraine’s resistance, remind us that these principles endure only when they are defended.

That is why the United Kingdom stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine – including here at the OSCE. Our support for Ukraine’s legitimate self-defence is support for the principles on which security in Europe depends. We will not be deterred by threats from the Russian Federation. Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of the UK to stand against Russian aggression, both in Ukraine and whenever directed against the UK and our Allies.

On Ukraine’s Independence Day, we congratulate the Ukrainian people. They freely chose their independence 35 years ago. They are defending it with courage today. The United Kingdom will continue to support Ukraine in its legitimate self-defence, and in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace, for as long as it takes.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 August 2026.

Joint statement from the foreign ministries of Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom on Israel closing the investigation into strikes on the World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza on 1 April 2024.

On 1 April 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired on a World Central Kitchen convoy as it was delivering food to civilians in Gaza. Drone strikes killed seven humanitarian workers, including from the United Kingdom, Australia and a dual Canada-US national. 

At the time, the IDF described this incident as a serious mistake and failure. In the more than two years since, we have been pressing for Israel to swiftly and thoroughly consider the case and hold those responsible to account. The announcement by the IDF on 19 August 2026 that it would not pursue criminal investigations into this strike, without further explanation, is shameful. Announcing this decision on World Humanitarian Day, while the world honoured the courage and sacrifice of humanitarians, was particularly egregious. This decision is both too little, and too late. The victims of this incident and their families deserve justice and accountability, and we will continue to seek answers on their behalf.

The World Central Kitchen attack is one of countless incidents in Gaza where there has been no accountability. In Gaza, humanitarian workers continue to work tirelessly to support civilians in desperate need, risking their lives whilst working in the most perilous conditions. Yet despite the fragile ceasefire, Gaza remains the deadliest place to deliver aid, with 186 humanitarian workers killed in 2025. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, and must do more to ensure that humanitarian staff can carry out their work safely. Lessons must be learnt from this tragedy.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 August 2026.

FCDO Indo-Pacific Minister Baroness Winterton of Doncaster responds to the guilty verdict against Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung in Hong Kong.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific, Baroness Winterton of Doncaster, said:

This verdict is a further demonstration that even peaceful acts of remembrance in Hong Kong are now treated by the authorities as threats to national security. The extensive use of Beijing’s National Security Law to punish and restrict peaceful expression undermines the commitments China made to Hong Kong under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. We reiterate our call for the National Security Law to be repealed, and for rights and freedoms to be respected in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 August 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Libya.

Madam President, three points on the political process, the importance of stability, and human rights.

First, the United Kingdom reaffirms our support for SRSG Tetteh and for all efforts aimed at advancing an inclusive, credible, and Libyan-led political process.

Almost a year ago, this Council welcomed SRSG Tetteh’s briefing setting out a roadmap towards elections in Libya, and opening a window for making progress in Libya’s political process.

A year on, its two initial milestones remain to be implemented by Libya’s parties.
The people of Libya are telling us clearly that they want progress in the political process towards elections and unified, strengthened, and accountable institutions.

And we urge Libya’s leaders to use this window of opportunity to act to implement the roadmap and move towards elections.

Two steps that Libya’s leaders could take now to demonstrate both progress and determination to move forward. Implementing the US-facilitated unified budget agreement, and finalising the outcome of the UNSMIL-facilitated ‘4+4’ small convening discussions.

Second, progress on the political process will support stability, which in turn offers the best prospects for greater economic certainty and a stable Dinar, for jobs and youth employment, for stable fuel and essential goods and services supplies, and for all those things that Ms Bek has described in her briefing.

Conversely, when progress stalls, stability is put at risk and in recent weeks we have seen concerning signs.

And we have heard this morning of some of them. 

Including around the Governor of the Central Bank, the assassination of the Libyan National Army Military Intelligence Chief, and targeted drone attacks on critical infrastructure at Zawiya.

We have also seen protests resulting from wider frustrations.

It is the Libyan people who suffer the most from any instability. 

The window for progress is open, but not indefinite.

Third, protection of human rights.

The United Kingdom welcomes announcements on the release of detained individuals in both West and East Libya.

We encourage Libyan institutions to end the practice of arbitrary detentions.

To empower law enforcement and legal institutions to investigate human rights violations and to pursue violators regardless of their affiliations, and to dismantle the criminal gangs responsible for organised immigration crime.

As the Secretary-General’s latest report shows, organised immigration crime creates protection risks, including of harassment, arbitrary arrests, and forcible transfer. 

It has a disproportionate impact on women and girls, and it risks fuelling instability in Libya and beyond.

Madam President, the United Kingdom wants democratic choice, security, and prosperity for the people of Libya.

Through the mandate of this Council, and the work of our UN Mission, the international community is working to support the achievement of these goals.

We see a window of opportunity now. And we urge and encourage progress in this window, and support those who take the necessary steps to achieve it.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 August 2026.

Ms Louise Cantillon has been appointed British High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor of the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands in succession to Ms Iona Thomas OBE, who has transferred to another Diplomatic Service appointment.  Ms Cantillon will take up her appointment during August 2026.

Curriculum Vitae

Full name: Louise Marie Cantillon

2021 to 2026	Sydney, British Consul General and Deputy Trade Commissioner Asia Pacific (Australia and New Zealand)
2020 to 2021	Shanghai, Minister Counsellor Creative Consumer and Education, British Consulate
2018 to 2020	Shanghai, Head of Infrastructure and Creative Industries, British Consulate
2011 to 2018	British Council, Head of PMO and Senior Asset Manager Asia
2008 to 2011	Gleeds UK, Construction Project Manager
2004 to 2011	Polartech Ltd, Chief Representative Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing
2002 to 2004	Manchester Chamber of Commerce, China Trade Manager
1998 to 2002	Beijing, Commercial Officer, British Embassy

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 August 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Kate Foster, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Yemen.

In recent weeks, we have seen a serious escalation in violence in Yemen and the wider region, as a result of reckless Houthi actions. 

This includes drone and missile strikes against Saudi Arabia, attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, and violations of Yemeni airspace by Iranian aircraft. 

Iran must cease its long-standing support for the Houthis, which threatens Yemen’s stability.

We express our condolences to those who have been killed or injured as a result of these actions, including Yemeni, Pakistani, and Indonesian nationals.

Last week, this Council delivered a clear message of condemnation for Houthi actions and a call for de-escalation. 

We urge the Houthis to focus on efforts to achieve peace and alleviate the suffering of Yemenis, rather than seeking to embroil Yemen in a wider regional conflict.

The United Kingdom reiterates its unwavering commitment to the sovereignty and security of Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and broader regional stability.

Secondly, the recent escalation is compounding an already dire humanitarian situation.

More than 22 million people require humanitarian assistance. 

Over 18 million face food insecurity. 

And more than 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished.

As a country heavily dependent on food and fuel imports, Yemen remains particularly vulnerable to further shocks.

With humanitarian funding under strain and the Food and Agriculture Organisation warning of drought risks and greater food insecurity, a return to large-scale conflict would turn an already dire situation into a catastrophe.

The United Kingdom will continue to work with partners to support the humanitarian response, building upon the more than $180 million of UK funding last year for life-saving humanitarian assistance.

We also remain deeply concerned by the Houthis’ continued detention of 73 UN staff and many more NGO and civil society personnel, many who have been held for over two years.

The Houthis must immediately and unconditionally release all those detained and allow humanitarian actors to operate safely and without obstruction.

Third, the United Kingdom welcomes the appointment of Dr Afrah Al-Zouba as Yemen’s first female Foreign Minister.

We look forward to working with her and the wider Government of Yemen to support their efforts to deliver much-needed reforms and to strengthen security and stability, including through the new Yemen National Development Strategy.

President, the choices made now will determine whether Yemen moves closer to peace or slips back towards deeper conflict and humanitarian crisis.

The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its support to the role of the UN Special Envoy and an intra-Yemeni peace process under UN auspices, to help build the peaceful future that Yemenis deserve.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 August 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Palestine.

The United Kingdom is clear that the only credible path to lasting peace and security remains a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel, alongside a sovereign and viable Palestinian state made up of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. 

Three priorities to advance progress towards that goal. 

First, in Gaza. 

The United Kingdom welcomes the recent focus on implementing Security Council Resolution 2803 and wants to see it implemented in full. 

That means all parties delivering on their commitments, including: respect for the ceasefire; Hamas fulfilling its decommissioning commitments; the phased withdrawal of the Israel Defence Forces as set out in the 20-point plan and the Roadmap for Phase Two; and the transition of governance and security control to the Palestinian Authority. 

We encourage the Palestinian Authority to continue implementing reforms needed to fulfil that role. 

We thank the US, Qatar, Türkiye, and Egypt for their tireless efforts to progress these negotiations. 

The United Kingdom will continue to work with all our partners to end the conflict in Gaza, and the terror threat from Hamas. 

As Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said, “conditions for the people of Gaza remain appalling.”

Israeli authorities must end unacceptable restrictions on aid and enable safe, sustained, and unhindered humanitarian access across Gaza. 

Second, addressing violence in the West Bank. 

The United Kingdom condemns escalating violence across the West Bank. 

In July alone, thirteen Palestinians and two Israelis were killed.

Recent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages and communities, in some cases alongside Israeli Defense Force personnel, are appalling. 

These are not isolated incidents. 

OCHA’s July report records more than 1,300 settler-related incidents, affecting over 250 Palestinian communities.

Around 900 Palestinians injured, and more than 3,200 displaced, and at least three Israelis have been killed and 24 injured this year.

Children are among those most affected by conflict. 

They are being exposed to repeated violence, displacement, and disruption due to movement restrictions and military operations. 

On 4 August, Israeli forces demolished three donor-funded classrooms at Sha’ab al Butum School, just weeks before the start of the school year. 

We call on the Government of Israel to fulfil their obligations to protect the Palestinian population of the occupied territory. 

We welcome recent arrests and indictments by Israeli authorities of perpetrators of settler violence. 

But perpetrators have acted with impunity for too long. 

And much more must be done to prevent and prosecute acts of violence. 

Israeli authorities’ security measures must be proportionate, consistent with international law, and contribute to de-escalation. 

Third, halting the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

Settlements are illegal under international law. 

They undermine the viability of a two-state solution, and they fuel insecurity for both Palestinians and Israelis. 

The Government of Israel has approved 104 settlements in four years, an increase of 80%, and allocated unprecedented funding to the construction of new settlements. 

The United Kingdom condemns threats to expand illegal settlements and outposts and opposes the decision to reintroduce the E1 settlement plan, which aims to cut the West Bank in half. 

We are alarmed by recent mass incursions at the Haram al Sharif / Temple Mount.

The Status Quo on Jerusalem’s holy sites must be respected. 

Madame President, in the past weeks we have seen renewed efforts to implement Resolution 2803, which offers the most viable pathway towards lasting peace. 

The deteriorating trajectory in the West Bank must not undermine that hard-won progress.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 August 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Kate Foster, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Arria meeting on Implementing international humanitarian law: prisoners of war, civilian detainees and foreign fighters, in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by reports of systematic ill-treatment of prisoners of war, civilian detainees, and vulnerable foreign nationals by Russian authorities, as they pursue their full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

I also want to thank the briefers for joining us today to share their testimony and expertise.

International humanitarian law and international human rights law are clear. 

Prisoners of war and civilian detainees must be treated humanely. 

Torture, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and arbitrary deprivation of life are prohibited. 

These are not optional standards. 

They are binding obligations.

That is why UN reporting and the testimony that we will hear today is so concerning.

UN reporting has documented arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture of civilian detainees by Russian authorities and armed forces in areas under their control. 

It has also raised concerns that civilians appeared to have been used as bargaining chips in exchanges, amounting to hostage-taking which is prohibited under international humanitarian law.

The evidence on prisoners of war is equally troubling. 

UN reporting has documented a systematic, widespread, and consistent pattern of torture and ill-treatment amongst Ukrainian prisoners of war released from Russian captivity. 

According to the OHCHR, 96% of released Prisoners of War provided accounts of torture or ill-treatment. 

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has documented accounts of stress positions, electric shocks, suffocation, and mock executions.

Wider reporting, including by the Moscow Mechanism, echoes these accounts. 

It has noted that this conduct may amount to widespread and systematic violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. 

They also document the denial of right to fair trial, unsafe detention and transfer conditions, and arbitrary killings.

We are also concerned by findings of the UN-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine on the deceptive and coercive recruitment of foreign nationals to fight with Russian forces. 

This has affected many countries globally. 

The Commission’s investigations involving nationals from 17 countries documented instances in which individuals were deceived or lured from abroad through promises of civilian work, transported to Russia, pressed into military contracts they did not understand, and deployed to hazardous frontline duties. 

Findings report their mistreatment and lasting trauma. 

Russia is bound by the same rules as every other state engaged in conflict. 

 Russia has a responsibility to ensure prisoners of war and civilian detainees are treated humanely, under the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions.

The United Kingdom calls on Russia to end these practices, to allow meaningful international monitoring, facilitate exchanges and family contact, and comply fully with its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Colleagues, the issues that we will hear about today are yet another consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

So I urge Russia to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire and engage in negotiations for a just and lasting peace.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 August 2026.

The UK has joined France, Germany and Italy in condemning Russia’s ongoing activities in the occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Spokespersons for the governments of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy said:

August 7th is a date when we remember the grave consequences of Russian imperialism. On this day in 2008 the Russian Federation took military action against Georgia, further damaging Georgia’s territorial integrity by occupying the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

18 years after the Russian aggression, we reaffirm our full support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders. We welcome Republic of Naoero’s decision to withdraw its recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We urge states that have established diplomatic relations with these entities to follow this example.

We reiterate our condemnation of Russia’s ongoing military presence in the occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in violation of international law as well as Russia’s obligations under the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008. Russia’s ongoing militarization of Georgia’s occupied territories poses a serious threat to the security of Georgia and to regional and European stability.

In October 2025, the European Court of Human Rights found the Russian Federation guilty of a number of violations committed in the occupied breakaway regions, including excessive use of force, ill-treatment, unlawful detention and unlawful restrictions on day-to-day movement across the administrative boundary line between Georgian-controlled territory and Russian occupied territory. We urge Russia to implement the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights relating to this situation and to fully fulfil the commitments it made on August 12 and September 8, 2008.

We are concerned about the latest developments in South Ossetia. The “Agreement on Deepening Alliance and Cooperation” signed on 9 May 2026 between Moscow and the de facto authorities of South Ossetia further violates Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in clear breach of international law. This document, as well as the appointment of a Russian citizen to head the region raise concerns on a possible full-fledged annexation of the region, which would not go unanswered.

We reaffirm our support for the “Geneva International Discussions” (GID) platform, co-chaired by the European Union, the OSCE, and the United Nations. This is the only framework that will enable the parties to work towards conflict resolution. We commend the work of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and we will continue to support the role of the mission.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 August 2026.

Statement by Ambassador Kate Foster, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on South Sudan.

As we have heard today, ongoing violence continues to displace civilians and to deepen an already acute humanitarian crisis.

Women and girls continue to bear the brunt, including through conflict-related sexual violence.

First, the United Kingdom reiterates the urgent need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to the political process.

We urge all parties to use this immediate period to engage in genuine and inclusive dialogue. 

We welcome the work of AU Special Envoy President Kikwete, and the close cooperation between the UN, the AU, and IGAD in support of peace and dialogue.

Second, any elections must strengthen, not undermine, peace and stability.

The South Sudanese people should be able to choose their representatives, and hold them to account. 

But this can only happen through elections that are credible, peaceful, and inclusive, or they risk a return to conflict.

That means the conditions envisaged in the 2018 peace agreement must be in place, including sufficient political space, security, and inclusive participation. 

An election in which major parties cannot participate freely would serve neither democracy nor peace.

Third, public resources must be managed responsibly, transparently, and in the interests of the South Sudanese people.

Essential services remain severely underfunded.

The consequences are felt most acutely by ordinary South Sudanese: just 2 per cent of the national budget is currently spent on health and education.

Functioning services, particularly healthcare, are increasingly critical as the risk grows of Ebola spreading into South Sudan.

Finally, UNMISS continues to play a critical role in supporting peace and stability.

The Mission provides a vital source of protection and support: helping to prevent and respond to intercommunal violence, maintaining a protective presence in areas at risk of conflict, facilitating humanitarian assistance, and supporting vital dialogue between communities.

We call on the transitional government of South Sudan to cooperate fully with the Mission, and to ensure it can carry out its mandate freely and without obstruction.

President, the people of South Sudan deserve a future defined not by violence and instability, but by peace, dignity, and accountable governance.