IT is almost impossible to believe how much can change in just one week, with the Government now fully immersed in doing everything possible to support Ukraine.

And this is critical because President Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is a premeditated and wholly unprovoked attack on a sovereign democratic state. My thoughts are with the Ukrainian people and their President, whose defiance, courage, and patriotism in the face of foreign aggression is inspiring.

I fully support the action being taken by Government, in lockstep with our allies, to impose the most severe and coordinated package of sanctions Russia has ever faced.

For many years the UK has been supporting Ukraine’s security and defence and in the last few days we have also ramped up military support including providing further equipment. We have also made ready 1,000 British troops to support NATO and our allies in the event of a humanitarian crisis with the Prime Minister announcing that the UK will be sending an additional £40 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

This brings the total amount of UK aid pledged this year to £140 million.

An inevitable consequence of the horrific onslaught on the people of Ukraine is a desperate stream of refugees fleeing their home country and I am pleased that our refugee scheme has been widened so that more Ukrainians with family links in the UK will be offered refuge and a new scheme will also allow individuals and organisations to sponsor Ukrainian refugees to come to the UK.

The Prime Minister has been clear that Putin must fail and that nothing is off the table in working with our allies to this end; and we will do all possible to support Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to live democratically in peace, free from foreign aggression.

Back at home my work has focused on the phosphates issues as it affects development, the A358 upgrade plans, my new cycle way campaign of which more soon and later this week I’ll be heading up the next Wellington Rail station meeting.

This is all overshadowed however by the deep unease the Ukrainian situation has thrown overall.

Rebecca Pow

MP for Taunton Deane