Ukraine

David Ward Excerpts

Tuesday 4th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hague]

We must be alert to the dangers to which the right hon. Gentleman correctly refers, and we must be prepared to be imaginative about long-term frameworks and solutions. We have already made the argument—I made it only a week ago to Foreign Minister Lavrov—that we recognise those Russian interests and are not seeking a zero-sum strategic game, and that there will be ways for the Russian economy, as well as the Ukrainian economy, to benefit from closer ties to the European Union. However, the response to us and other countries making that argument has been what we have seen over the past few days. That does not stop our making it, but it shows how difficult it is to construct a global deal, as the right hon. Gentleman said.

[Mr David Ward (Bradford East) (LD)]

In light of Russia’s bellicose behaviour, is the Foreign Secretary aware of the danger of Russia perceiving a calm response as a weak response?

[Mr Hague]

We must be alert to that danger too, which is why—I repeat—it is important that there are costs and consequences for Russia behaving in this way. I assure the hon. Gentleman that Ministers are conscious of the danger he mentions.