GOOD AFTERNOON and welcome to this special update on Ukraine - in addition to my normal weekly email that will come out on Thursday. As well as providing the latest on the war I wanted to share the details of the best ways you can help support the Ukrainian people and what’s happening locally including a rally in support of Ukraine I am in the process of organising for this weekend. 
 
LATEST NEWS The Russian caged bear turned truly barbaric over the weekend with news that soldiers shelled families as they fled Irpin and attacked two other humanitarian corridors. It seems likely that this sort of indiscriminate violence is a result of their attacks stalling badly as Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff, warned on Sunday in a must-watch interview. One of the most thoughtful interviews I have seen on the long term implications of the war is this Ted talk by historian and writer Yuval Noah Harari, writer of Sapiens. It is 50 minutes but well worth it if you want to understand why this really is a threat to world peace. More practical military buffs might have enjoyed some reading from the Sunday press including this Observer summary of how the Ukrainians have defied Russian expectations, how poor planning by the Russians and the weather have played their part in the Sunday Telegraph and this fascinating insight into scenarios facing Putin from Dr Mark Galeotti from UCL. Finally, on the issue of a No Fly Zone as requested by President Zelenskiy most Western leaders have ruled one out on the grounds that it could provoke a serious escalation or even nuclear war with Russia (which I agree with) but this piece from an academic at King’s College London gives a slightly different view which is well worth thinking through. 
 
THE UK’S RESPONSE has been generally pretty impressive in terms of the military support we have provided the Ukrainian armed forces and our marshalling of the international community on sanctions. It has though been much slower than I’d like on two key areas - firstly, introducing a humanitarian visa system for Ukrainians and secondly on actually sanctioning the oligarchs close to Putin. The House of Commons has today passed the Economic Crime Bill which should help speed the latter up but I think the Home Office needs to quickly sort out a much more generous visa system than is currently the case. There were reports over the weekend that the Home Secretary was looking at options to do this which would be welcome news if true. 
 
CHARITABLE SUPPORT Lots of credible options for those wishing to donate because a big array of reputable charities & NGOs are working hard to provide humanitarian aid to those in Ukraine. You could do a lot worse than join the thousands of people who have already donated £85m to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Ukraine Appeal. The DEC is a group of 15 leading UK charities, which has launched its collective appeal to provide emergency aid and rapid relief to civilians suffering during the conflict. Some of the charities involved include the British Red Cross, Oxfam, Unicef, Save the Children and World Vision. Alternatively you can donate to the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Committee of the Red Cross who are working with Ukrainian hospitals and emergency services, providing first aid training. Finally, head to United Help Ukraine to support a charity focused on humanitarian aid, wounded Ukrainian soldiers, medical supplies and raising awareness of the conflict, or donate here via the Embassy of Ukraine to the UK to support and defend Ukraine and its people. There are also charities such as Mission Without Borders, who enable you to sponsor a child in Ukraine. 
 
PAY TO NOT STAY IN AN AIRBnB Here’s something no one would have predicted: people have been paying to rent thousands of Airbnb holiday homes in Ukraine they will never visit, as a means of donating directly to those on the ground. Almost £1.5million was spent on 61,000 holiday home bookings between 02/03/22-03/03/22, for stays that will never happen, with Airbnb waiving their fee. Airbnb is also providing direct support after recently announcing that they are working on offering free short-term housing to as many as 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, and are working with neighbouring European countries to pair people with properties available for long-term stays.
 
SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM One of the reasons we are so up to date with the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, is due to the unbelievably brave work of journalists reporting on the ground, including as the PM mentioned last Friday, the astonishing courage of the Sky News team after being shot at near Kyiv. To help journalists continue with this crucial work, exposing the catastrophic reality of Putin's invasion, you can follow the news via local news sources such as The Kyiv Independent and The New Voice of Ukraine.

HOME OFFICE & UKVI SUPPORT Advice for British nationals with family members in Ukraine, and Ukrainian nationals in Ukraine and the UK along with information on temporary visa concessions can be found here. Please note the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office currently advises against all travel to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. For anyone wanting to contact loved ones in Ukraine, it’s worth noting that BT, EE and O2 are making calls, texts and data to/from the region free, or are removing roaming charges. Finally, the Home Office have also set up a dedicated helpline on 0300 3032785 for anyone who is intending to apply under the Family Migration route to assist with making an application (this is operating on a 24/7 basis).

ATTEND THE GODALMING UKRAINE RALLY This Saturday I have arranged a rally in Godalming. Details are still being finalised, but I will be joined by Rector Simon Taylor from Busbridge & Hambledon Church and other church leaders. I have also invited Waverley Borough and Godalming Town Council Leader, Cllr Paul Follows and the local political parties as this is a cross-party occasion in which it has been excellent to see all the parties unite at Westminster. The Rally will start at noon beside the bandstand in The Phillips Memorial Park. Please do come along and show your support.

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