Inside Politics: Putin missile hits military base 15 miles from Poland
War encroaches on Nato territory as US says Kremlin asked China for military and financial aid, writes Matt Mathers
Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine came dangerously close to Nato territory yesterday after a missile strike on a military base just 15 miles from the border with Poland. Some analysts have described the attack as a deliberate provocation ahead of the latest round of peace talks, which are due to kick off shortly, in what looks like another attempt by the Russian president to flex his muscles before diplomats get around the negotiating table. Later today, the UK opens its door and heart to refugees fleeing the conflict as ministers relax the rules on entry requirements for those seeking shelter from the misery at home.
Inside the bubble
- Commons action gets underway with education questions at 2.30pm, followed by any urgent questions or statements. After that MPs will consider Lords amendments to the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill and go through the remaining stages of the Professional Qualifications Bill. Later, the remaining stages of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill will be heard.
Coming up:
– London mayor Sadiq Khan on Times Radio Breakfast at 8.10am
– Health secretary Sajid Javid on BBC Radio 4 Today at 8.20am
Daily Briefing
CHINA ROW: China is this morning dragged into Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine amid reports the Kremlin asked Beijing for military help and aid in evading US sanctions. US sources told news outlets – including CNN – that Moscow made requests for hardware such as drones and financial assistance. One source said the request was made after the invasion had happened but did not give a specific date. China’s embassy in Washington said it was not aware of the request. Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, will warn China of likely economic penalties for helping Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, US officials have said. He is set to meet Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat, in Rome later today. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia are set for another round of peace talks later and there is cautious optimism surrounding the latest discussions after Moscow said “substantial progress” has been made and that a “joint position” could be reached soon. We’ll have all the latest updates on our liveblog.
- WESTERLY TARGETS: The slightly more upbeat mood surrounding today’s talks comes despite another brutal attack by Putin’s forces on a Ukraine military base that killed dozens of people just 15 miles from the border of Poland – a Nato member. The missile strike was Putin’s most westerly strike yet and serves as a timely reminder of how just how fragile the situation is there; any bombs landing in Polish territory would likely be deemed an act of war by Warsaw and trigger a response by the alliance. Russia claimed it had killed “up to 180 foreign mercenaries” and destroyed a large amount of weapons supplied by outside nations in the attack. Defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov told a briefing that Russia would continue such attacks. The facility, also known as the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre, has long been used to train Ukrainian military personnel, often with instructors from the US and other Nato countries. It has also hosted international Nato drills.
REFUGE: Boris Johnson’s government has bowed pressure to take a more compassionate approach to refugees fleeing the war as ministers set out plans to allow families in the UK to host Ukrainians seeking refuge here. Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, will announce more details of ow the scheme works in a statement to parliament later. Following that, a website enabling people to express an interest in helping – for which they will receive a “thank you” of £350 a month – will then go live. Gove said the plan could benefit tens of thousands of displaced people. Briton sponsoring refugees will be required to commit to the scheme for a minimum of six months – but will be encouraged to keep up the offer for as long as they can. Sponsored refugees will be granted 36 months leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to benefits and public services. Those offering accommodation will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks. Gove said he was “exploring” whether he could take part in the scheme himself. Three in four people in the UK back giving refuge to those fleeing war, according to an Ipsos survey.
- COST OF LIVING LATEST: Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, is coming under increasing pressure to take further action on Britain’s worsening cost of living squeeze as energy bills and fuel costs continue to rise. Labour says families face a near £400 annual rise in the cost of petrol and is again calling on the chancellor to axe a planned hike to NI contributions and a windfall tax on oil and gas giants to help ease financial pressure on workers. “Labour would put working people first. Our plan would help households through this crisis with up to £600 cut off energy bills, funded by one-off windfall tax on the booming profits of oil and gas producers,” Louise Haigh, the party’s shadow transport secretary, said. “The Conservatives could help working people being hit hard by soaring prices – instead they’ve rejected the choice of a one-off windfall tax on oil and gas producers raking in billion,” she added. “And to add insult to injury, within weeks they want to clobber families with a huge tax hike.” Sunak is scheduled to give a spring statement next week, a sort of mini-budget which reports over the weekend said would be “policy light” but likely to include some form of extra help.
- OLIGARCH WARNING: Legislation aimed at cracking down on dirty money won’t stop oligarchs from Russia or elsewhere using the UK’s offshore tax havens to hide their cash, experts warn. Campaigners and MPs say “significant loopholes” remain in the government’s Economic Crime Bill, set to become law within days, as the government tries to root out illicit wealth linked to Vladimir Putin’s regime. Anti-corruption experts say oligarchs will continue to be able to use shell companies in the UK’s Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories (CDOTs) – known to be centres of financial secrecy – to dodge the British authorities. Anti-corruption organisation Transparency International is calling for the government to strike emergency deals with these islands to gain full access to their records and prevent the sale of assets bought with “dirty money from Russia and elsewhere”.
The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.
On the record
“If within three months...this war has not been resolved satisfactorily...then NATO will become involved.”
Former chief of the defence staff General Lord Richards on Ukraine war.
Essential reading
- Hamish McRae, The Independent: Inflation means we’re in for a tough year ahead – how will increasing interest rates help?
- Patsy Stevenson, The Independent:I already knew the Met had abused their power at Sarah Everard’s vigil
- James Moore, The Independent: Local councils spectacularly miss the point by blaming parents of kids with special needs
- Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, The Atlantic: The democracy turning its back on Ukraine
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