Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 November 2022.

Ian Stubbs (UK delegation to the OSCE) says Putin has continued to mercilessly punish the Ukrainian people for Russia’s poor performance on the battlefield.

Thank you Mr Chair. This week, President Putin has continued to mercilessly punish the Ukrainian people for Russia’s poor performance on the battlefield. His military commanders have conducted missile strikes targeting power stations and water supplies throughout Ukraine. More widely, they continue to employ Iranian-provided Shaed-136 UAVs (otherwise known as suicide drones) and cruise missiles against civilians, residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

None of this achieves any military purpose. Putin’s only aim is to spread terror and to deprive Ukrainian families of shelter, light, and heat as harsh winter approaches. This is a particularly cruel act of vengeance which will cause most suffering amongst Ukraine’s most vulnerable, including the elderly and young.

President Putin and his Russian military leaders have consistently planned and authorised operations which have breached international humanitarian law.

Mr Chair, when this Forum last convened, I asked our Russian colleague directly to explain how they could justify such callous attacks on civilians. He did not respond. Instead, he again elected to retreat from this chamber – a message in itself.

Perhaps my Russian colleague knows he is complicit in trying to hide the disastrous truth of the Kremlin’s appalling and failing illegal invasion of Ukraine from his fellow citizens. Perhaps he knows that deliberate attacks on civilians are a clear breach of international humanitarian law. Perhaps he recognises the horrifying irony that whilst President Putin claims that Ukraine is part of Russia and Ukrainians are Russians, he also calls them Nazis who must be bombed without mercy.

Mr Chair, today we have again heard a litany of the Kremlin’s lies, disinformation and incredulous conspiracy theories. These are clumsy attempts to distract from the enduring poor performance and failings of the Russian military on the battlefield.

The Wagner Group, the private military company on which the Russian military has been increasingly reliant, now appears not only to be recruiting Russian convicts, but has expanded its recruitment to include individuals suffering from serious diseases and medical conditions – a sign of desperation to recruit numbers not fighters.

Meanwhile, in many cases, newly mobilised Russian reservists have been deployed to Ukraine poorly equipped. Open source images suggest they are typically issued with AKMs, a weapon first introduced in 1959, many of which are likely to be in barely usable condition. Some appear to have been sent to Ukraine without weapons at all.

Badly trained and badly equipped amateurs are being sent to reinforce Russia’s poorly equipped and poorly led, demoralised professional soldiers.

Mr Chair, the nuclear rhetoric we have heard today is irresponsible, including the absurd claim that Ukraine plans to detonate a radiological “dirty bomb” on its own territory. No other country is talking about nuclear use. No country is threatening Russia nor threatening President Putin. He should be clear that for the UK and our Allies, any use at all of nuclear weapons would fundamentally change the nature of this conflict. There would be severe consequences for Russia.

Mr Chair, as we have discussed previously, the Russian/Belarusian “regional grouping of forces” remains unlikely to be combat capable, not least because Russia is unlikely to be able to generate combat-ready formations of the size announced because of the number of forces it has committed in Ukraine and associated resourcing issues.

Separately, on 17 October, imagery showed two MiG-31K interceptor jets were almost certainly parked at the Machulishchi Airfield in Belarus. Also located with the aircraft were objects likely associated with the AS-24 KILLJOY air launch ballistic missile – which has not previously been deployed in Belarus.

It is worth noting that neither the “regional grouping of forces” nor the deployment of the KILLJOY ballistic missile currently provide a significant tactical advantage to Russia and so it is likely that these deployments aim to provide a distraction and to portray Belarus as increasingly complicit in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

We call on the Belarusian regime to recognise this, desist from supporting Russia’s attempts to stoke further instability in the region and to stop its active support of Russia’s illegal invasion, which itself constitutes a breach of international law.

Mr Chair, President Putin and the Russian military leadership are demonstrating an unimaginable level of barbarity and depravity as they unleash their frustrations on the Ukrainian people. But they continue to fail to understand that every horrendous attack strengthens the Ukrainian resolve to defend their homeland from a brutal and barbaric invader. The UK remains steadfast – for however long it takes – to ensure that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the independence of Ukraine is fully restored. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 November 2022.

The UK has today (Wednesday 02 November) sanctioned four oligarchs who have enabled Putin to mobilise Russian industries to support his military effort.

Amongst those sanctioned today are Alexander Abramov and Alexander Frolov, who have been targeted for their involvement in the extractive, transport, and construction sectors.

The pair, known to be business associates of Roman Abramovich, previously owned major stakes in Russian steel manufacturer Evraz plc, are thought to have an estimated global net worth of £4.1 billion and £1.7 billion respectively, and are reported to have UK property investments worth an estimated £100 million.

The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Putin continues to rely on his cabal of selected elite to maintain control of his industrial complex and fuel his illegal invasion of Ukraine. Today we are sanctioning an additional four oligarchs who rely on Putin for their positions of authority and in turn fund his military machine.

By targeting these individuals, we are ramping up the economic pressure on Putin and will continue to do so until Ukraine prevails.

Also sanctioned today are Airat Shaimiev, who has an estimated global net worth of £902 million, and Albert Shigabutdinov, who has an estimated global net worth of £977 million. Like Abramov and Frolov, they are both subject to travel bans, asset freezes and transport sanctions.

The AO TAIF group, for which Shigabutdinov is the General Director and CEO, controls an estimated 96% of chemical and petrochemical processing in the Tatarstan region of Russia, including the production of crude oil. They are also known as one of the world’s largest producers of synthetic rubber and a major producer of plastics.

Shaimiev is the CEO of state owned transport and construction company, OAO Tatavtodor.

Today’s designations expand upon the UK’s sanctions against oligarchs, targeting those who operate in the areas of strategic significance that prop up Putin’s industrial military machine.

The UK has sanctioned more than 1,200 individuals and 120 entities, including more than 120 oligarchs with a net worth of more than £140 billion.

Background

• Alexander Grigoryevich Abramov is a former non-executive director of Evraz PLC. In this role, Abramov had been involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia by working as a Director at Evraz PLC, an entity carrying on business in sectors of strategic significance to the Russian Government, namely, the extractive sector, the transport sector, and the construction sector. Abramov’s net worth is reported to be an estimated £4.1 billion. Abramov is subject to a travel ban, asset freeze and transport sanctions.
• Alexander Vladimirovich Frolov is a former director and former CEO of Evraz PLC. In this role, Frolov had been involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia by working as a Director at Evraz PLC, an entity carrying on business in sectors of strategic significance to the Russian Government, namely, the extractive sector, the transport sector, and the construction sector. Frolov’s net worth is reported to be an estimated £1.7 billion. Frolov is subject to a travel ban, asset freeze and transport sanctions.
• Airat Mintimerovich Shaimiev is the CEO and a member of the board of directors of OAO Tatavtodor, a large state-owned transport and construction company which is engaged in the construction and servicing of public highways in Russia. In this role, Shaimiev had been involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia by working as the CEO at OAO Tatavtodor, an entity carrying on business in sectors of strategic significance to the Russian Government, namely, the transport sector, and the construction sector. Shaimiev’s net worth is reported to be an estimated £902 million. Shaimiev is subject to a travel ban, asset freeze and transport sanctions.
• Albert Kashafovich Shigabutdinov is the General Director and CEO of the AO TAIF Group of companies, which comprises companies operating in the Russian energy, financial services and information, communications and digital technologies sectors. In this role, Shigabutdinov had been involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia by working as the CEO at AO TAIF Group of companies, an entity carrying on business in sectors of strategic significance to the Russian Government, namely, the energy, financial services and information, communications and digital technologies sectors. Shigabutdinov’s net worth is reported to be an estimated £977 million. Shigabutdinov is subject to a travel ban, asset freeze and transport sanctions.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 November 2022.

• UK’s Ukraine Cyber Programme is protecting the Ukrainian Government and its critical national infrastructure from malicious cyber attacks.
• Partnership with industry is preventing Russian malign actors from accessing vital networks and providing forensic capabilities to the Ukrainian authorities.
• An initial £6.35 million package was mobilised in response to an increasing tempo of Russian cyber activity in the days following the invasion of Ukraine.

A £6.35 million support package from the UK Government is protecting Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure and vital public services from cyber attacks, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has revealed.

The UK’s Ukraine Cyber Programme was mobilised shortly after Putin’s invasion in February to protect against increased Russian cyber attacks. The programme has not been made public until now to protect its operational security.

Utilising the expertise of world-leading cyber security providers, the UK’s Ukraine Cyber Programme has to date:

1. Provided incident response support to Government of Ukraine entities, protecting them against destructive cyber attacks, including malware such as Industroyer2. This is preventing malicious actors from accessing vital information relevant to the war effort.
2. Limited attacker access to vital networks and supported Ukraine to harden their critical infrastructure against future attacks.
3. Delivered frontline cyber security hardware and software including: firewalls to prevent attacks taking hold; DDoS protection to ensure Ukrainian citizens can continue to access vital information; and forensic capabilities to enable Ukrainian analysts to fully understand system compromises.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Russia’s attack on Ukraine is not limited to its horrific land invasion. It has also persistently attempted to invade Ukraine’s cyberspace, threatening critical information, services and infrastructure.

The UK’s support to Ukraine is not limited to military aid – we are drawing on Britain’s world-leading expertise to support Ukraine’s cyber defences. Together, we will ensure that the Kremlin is defeated in every sphere: on land, in the air and in cyber space.

Lindy Cameron, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, said:

The NCSC is proud to have played a part in supporting Ukraine’s cyber defenders. They have mounted an impressive defence against Russian aggression in cyberspace, just as they have done on the physical battlefield.

The threat remains real and the UK’s support package is undoubtedly bolstering Ukraine’s defences further.

Russian actors have a long history of hostile and destabilising activity against Ukraine, including:

• Shutting off part of Ukraine’s electricity grid in December 2015, leaving 230,000 people without power for up to 6 hours.
• Destructive cyber attacks in 2017 targeting Ukraine’s finance and energy sectors and government services, leading to knock-on effects on other European partners.
• Kyiv metro and Odessa airport disrupted by ransomware that encrypted hard drives.
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on 15-16 February 2022, which the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) judge were the work of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
• A series of cyber attacks since the invasion, including against commercial operators such as Viasat in March which had a serious impact on access to internet and other services across both Ukraine and other parts of Europe.

The tempo of Russian cyber attacks against Ukraine increased significantly following its illegal invasion in February 2022, seeking to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and strategic advantage in the war.

The UK’s support is strengthening Ukraine’s cyber defences and improving collective long-term cyber resilience.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council meeting on the situation in Somalia.

Thank you, President.

This vote today sends a powerful message of Security Council support not just to UNSOM but to President Hassan Sheikh and all Somalis.

UNSOM has played an important role in Somalia since its inception. The recent strategic review found its mandate well aligned with Somalia’s national priorities. Its recommendations will enable the Mission to keep supporting Somalia through a new era.

The successful conclusion of the electoral process and the peaceful transition of power gives Somalia an opportunity to make progress in achieving its national objectives and in the fight against Al-Shabaab. We encourage all Somalis to work together and seize this opportunity.

The United Kingdom will continue to stand with Somalia and we commend President Hassan Sheikh’s determination to defeat Al-Shabaab.

Finally President, let me take this opportunity to thank SRSG Swan for his extraordinary leadership and commitment during this critical transition phase. And I also thank all colleagues for their engagement on this resolution, and to the work of my team. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Thank you, President, and I thank Under-Secretary Griffiths and Secretary-General Grynspan for their briefings today.

The Black Sea Grain initiative is vital to global food security. The UN estimates that it has indirectly prevented 100 million people from falling into extreme poverty.

Over 60% of the wheat exported under the deal has gone to low and middle-income countries, including via the World Food Programme to Ethiopia, Yemen, and Afghanistan.

Russia’s suspension of this initiative over the weekend has meant over 100 ships blocked from seeking permission to enter Ukrainian ports to load grain.

An average of 100,000 tons of grain is exported each day under the initiative. This is enough to feed 5 million people for a month. The severe impact, should Russia’s suspension of the agreement continue, is clear.

Recognising the global food crisis, the UK has not placed sanctions on food or fertiliser exports from Russia to third countries. We have worked hard, and continue to do so, to ensure there are mitigations in place to avoid indirect impacts of sanctions.

And we note that there has been no decrease in Russian grain exports since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
President, Russia claims it suspended participation in the grain initiative due to an attack on its Black Sea Fleet, falsely claiming those vessels were involved in implementation of the deal.

As we heard from Under-Secretary-General Griffiths, no military vessels or assets are involved in supporting this initiative.

And what Russia neglects to mention is that Russia’s Black Sea fleet is illegally occupying Ukrainian waters and bombing Ukrainian towns.

The global impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine has already been profound. Ending the grain initiative would unleash the “unprecedented wave of hunger and destitution”, of which the Secretary-General’s Global Crisis Response Group warned in June. We therefore urge Russia to renew its cooperation under the agreement so that shipments of grain can continue as before.

We call on Russia to work with all parties to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative this month.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 October 2022.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing by the President of the ICAO Council on the event involving Ryanair flight FR4978 in Belarus Airspace on 23 May 2021.

Thank you, President.

When we discussed this issue immediately after the incident, many Council members emphasised the importance of an international independent investigation. We therefore thank Mr Sciacchitano, the President of the Council of ICAO, for attending the Security Council today to relate the findings of the Fact-Finding Investigation Team, and the subsequent decisions of the ICAO Council and Assembly.

President, it is clear from the investigation that on 23 May 2021, the Belarus authorities deliberately communicated a false bomb threat to Ryanair flight FR4978, before manipulating circumstances to influence the aircraft to land at Minsk airport. That the threat was communicated to the aircraft before the so-called bomb threat email was even sent to Minsk airport, leaves little room for doubt.

It appears the purpose of this brazen and dangerous operation was to arrest and detain a journalist, Mr Roman Protasevich, and his partner Sofia Sapega, who with their fellow passengers happened to be flying over Belarus on their way from Athens to Vilnius.

As the ICAO Council and the Assembly made clear, the actions of the Belarusian state endangered the safety and security of a commercial passenger aircraft and the lives of all those on board. And they were a flagrant violation of the Chicago and Montreal Conventions.
But not only this. As we said last year, the use of a spurious terrorist threat to divert an airliner also served to undermine measures put in place by the international community to counter real aviation terror threats, including those this Council addressed in resolution 2309 in 2016.

So the Lukashenko regime has broken international law, created a major risk to the safety of innocent passengers, and undermined aviation safety more broadly – proving itself to be entirely irresponsible on the issue of international peace and security. And for what? All to silence an opposition journalist, further stifling any semblance of free speech left in Belarus.

This has only been compounded further by its role as a staging-ground and facilitator of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, through which it continues to show reckless contempt for international law and the UN Charter.
We call on Belarus to hold accountable those responsible for this incident, desist from any further such unlawful actions, and end its support for Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 October 2022.

• Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will address the UN Security Council Counter Terrorism Committee during a visit to India this week
• He will use his speech in New Delhi today (Saturday) to call for like-minded partners to come together behind a mission to cut terrorist resources and prevent future attacks like that seen in Mumbai in 2008
• The Foreign Secretary started his first visit to India in his role in Mumbai yesterday (Friday) before travelling on to New Delhi today

The international community must work together to “starve terrorists of the finance and emerging technologies” that will cause destruction around the world, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will set out today (Saturday 29 October).

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in New Delhi, he will call on countries to work together to fight online terrorism – including global terror recruitment campaigns and live streaming of attacks.

It comes after he paid his respects yesterday at the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai, to those who lost their lives in the city’s 2008 terror attack, including three British nationals.

The Foreign Secretary is due to say:

Within the space of two decades, terrorists have gone from circulating crackly voice recordings from the depths of Tora Bora, to global online recruitment and incitement campaigns, to live-streaming attacks.

Online incitement has radicalised vulnerable people in far off countries, who have gone on to use rental vans as weapons of terror.

So we must continue to work together to fight terrorist ideologies online.

He will conclude we must “starve terrorists of the finance and emerging technologies that will cause death and destruction around the world”.

The UK’s Counter Daesh Communication Cell, in partnership with the US and UAE Governments, works to challenge Daesh propaganda. The UK is also working to stop terrorists exploiting online platforms and to push tech companies to crack down harder on extremist online content through the G7 and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

Around the world unmanned aerial systems are being used to inflict terror. The UK is funding new technology to tackle these drones and stop terrorists from misusing them.

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary announced further collaboration between the UK and India through British International Investment. This included £11 million of UK funding invested in Kinara Capital, a woman-led fintech company. British International Investment is designed to strengthen trade ties with our partners and generate economic growth, benefitting the UK and creating jobs at home.

He also announced a £22 million investment by the UK-backed Neev II Fund into Hygenco which will help India’s green energy transition by pioneering green hydrogen.

The Foreign Secretary is due to meet India’s Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar today to discuss the latest on the 2030 Roadmap, the landmark commitment to boost cooperation between the UK and India over the next decade.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 October 2022.

The UK will provide £2 million to UNICEF in response to the cholera outbreak in Syria, which continues to spread across the country and risks overwhelming fragile health systems.

As the international community scales up its response to the outbreak, which has now spread to Lebanon, this funding will contribute to UNICEF’s cholera response, including establishing cholera treatment centres, giving people access to cholera kits and training the public on how to prevent the spread of cholera.

Minister of State and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad said:

We are deeply concerned by the cholera outbreak across Syria, the first in more than ten years. With humanitarian needs the highest they have ever been, there is a significant risk that malnutrition, lack of access to clean water and chronic conditions, will see the situation deteriorate even further.

This funding to UNICEF will provide vital lifesaving assistance to those in affected areas. The UK has not forgotten Syria and we will continue to work with international partners to ensure there is a coordinated response on the ground.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 October 2022.

Statement from Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council Debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Thank you Mr President,

As we have heard from UN Special Coordinator Wennesland, we are seeing an increasingly worrying deterioration of the security situation in the West Bank. It is crucial that all parties take urgent steps to reduce tensions, condemn incitement and avoid further escalation in violence.

The cycle of violence continues to take many lives. We are alarmed by the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, by Israeli Security Forces, including six minors this month. Investigations should be transparent and comprehensive. Where there has been excessive use of force, those responsible must be held to account.

We are also concerned by the increase in Palestinian violence, where two IDF soldiers sadly lost their lives this month after being shot by Palestinians. We repeat our call on all parties to take immediate steps to reduce tensions. We also stress the importance of ensuring access for humanitarian and development organisations, including in Palestinian refugee camps, even during periods of instability.

More action also needs to be taken to tackle settler violence, which has affected IDF soldiers, but affects Palestinians on a daily basis across the West Bank, especially during the olive harvest. The Israeli government needs to end the culture of impunity and bring those responsible to justice.

Mr President, as we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl this month, we should all be reminded of the vital role that UNRWA plays in the region, including in providing education and health services to women and girls. But while girls in the OPTs outperform boys at school and represent around 60% of Palestinian graduates, the fact that employment rates remain low, with only 13% of women over 25 employed, needs urgent and meaningful attention.

The UK remains a firm supporter of UNRWA and values its importance as a vital humanitarian and stabilising force. We encourage efforts to improve UNRWA’s serious financial situation, which threatens its ability to deliver vital services later this year if action is not taken.

Mr President, the need for the parties to engage in meaningful dialogue and collaborate to address the escalating situation in the West Bank is urgent. We are working closely with the parties to that end and we welcome the efforts of the UN Special Coordinator to support de-escalation and encourage further work to reverse negative trends on the ground.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 October 2022.

Representatives from Egypt, France, Germany, Turkey, the UK and US met at Wilton Park from 26-27 October to discuss the situation in Libya.

Senior officials representing Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States met to discuss the situation in Libya. They underlined the need for unified international support for Libya in overcoming the current political impasse. They welcomed the new UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, and reiterated support for a UN facilitated, Libyan led and owned process that enables Libya to hold credible, transparent, and inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections in the shortest possible time. Participants agreed on the need for Libyan leaders to engage constructively together, avoid actions that would cause divisions in Libya and work with SRSG Bathily to build confidence and re-establish consensus on the path forward as soon as possible. Participants stressed the importance of elections in fulfilling the democratic aspirations of the Libyan people and delivering a future where opportunities and resources are distributed fairly for all.