MP calls on Prime Minister to support Nato allies

Mark Pritchard, who is chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Ukraine, questioned Boris Johnson in the House of Commons as the Prime Minister announced the first sanctions against Russia following its invasion of its neighbouring state.

Mr Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, said that while the Ukraine might not be part of Nato, it was democracy's border with the totalitarian Russian state.

In a sombre debate in the House of Commons this afternoon, he said:

"Ukraine is not Nato's border yet, it is not the EU's border yet, but it is democracy's border today.

"This house, having met the president some months ago here, stands in full solidarity with our counterparts in the Rada (Ukrainian parliament) and the people of Ukraine, incluidng the people of Donetsk and Luhansk.

"The Prime Minister mentioned Nato members, can I ask him what more reassurance and practical support we can give to Nato members like Poland and the Baltic states, who are today just a little bit more fearful?"

Mr Johnson said Mr Pritchard was right to draw attnetuion to the Baltic states and to Poland.

"In Poland, he knows, we have increased our support with another 315 marines from 45 Commando, and in the Estonia we have doubled our presence in Tapa to 2,000.

"We're dong more in the high north as well as in Romania and elsewhere.

"We are keeping all of these projects under constant review but we and other European countries are stiffening the eastern frontier of Nato."

Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant quoted former prime minister Neville Chamberlain's failure to contain Adolf Hitler's ambitions in 1938.

Mr Fabricant said: "Eighty-five years ago, a predecessor of the Prime Minister talked about a 'quarrel in a far away country of poeple of whom we know nothing'.

"Doesn't the concordance of both sides of the house today demonstrate that this is not the case when it comes to Ukraine?"

Mr Johnson said Britain had a large Ukrainian community which made a major contribution to PM everybody who knows someone in the Ukrainian community in Britain which is so larage so active makes such a fanstacit conbritiong to our life feels a huge amount of smypathy with ppl o f the Ukraine today

This is a country with which wwe have familiarity with which we understnad

This is a country which is a democracy which shares our values. and that's wahts at stake today..