Ukraine
Lord Cromwell Excerpts(2 weeks, 4 days ago)
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Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
My Lords, it is the turn of the Cross Benches.
Lord Cromwell (CB)
I ask a short question: while I in no way undermine the commendable support of the Government for Ukraine, will the Minister’s department look into the information I have supplied about UK components being used in Russian fighter jets?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
Yes. I thank the noble Lord for raising this with me and writing to me about this. He is quite right to do so. Following his most recent correspondence, I have asked officials, and we are actively investigating the issues that he raises, including in relation to our overseas territories.
Georgia: Political Situation
Lord Cromwell Excerpts(2 weeks, 5 days ago)
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Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
We take close notice of what our allies are doing in relation to Georgia at the moment. I sometimes feel, when the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, asks these questions, that he has something specific in mind and is inviting me to guess what it might be. We will be using all the levers at our disposal to try to do right by the people of Georgia who, as far as anyone can tell, have not changed their desire to seek a democratic outcome. We have concerns that we think need to be investigated. It is up to the people of Georgia to choose who governs them and to choose whether they tilt to the West or to Russia. That is their choice, and it must be a choice that is made freely.
Lord Cromwell (CB)
My Lords, perhaps at one level there is a certain irony in the UK involving itself in the EU accession desires of other states. More seriously, I associate myself with all the comments that have been made, including by the Minister. It is essential that we keep pressing the Georgian Dream party, which fought long and hard to get candidate status to join the EU, on why that has now been put on the back burner, particularly given the protests that have arisen directly from it.
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
That is a question on many of our minds. However, I do not think we are trying to involve ourselves in any other country’s decisions relating to accession or otherwise. The principle that we seek to stick to is that this must be a choice made by the people of Georgia freely and democratically, and free of interference from other states.
Ukraine
Lord Cromwell Excerpts(3 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
The noble Baroness is correct to highlight the need for the United Kingdom to work closely with all our allies, and we do so particularly with our European neighbours and partners.
Lord Cromwell (CB)
My Lords, a Ukrainian drone pilot told me recently that, when they shoot down a Russian drone, they take it to bits and analyse the components. They are finding components that are manufactured in countries allied to Ukraine, including this one. Is that something that the Minister feels we should investigate further?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
We are of course interested in all such reports, and they will be considered fully.