I recently came back from providing essential assistance to emergency responders and labor representatives in the Donbas area of Ukraine. Despite facing daily power outages, missile attacks, and civilian casualties in various settings, Ukrainians display remarkable resilience. While yearning for peace, they refuse to surrender their nation to Russia and endure the harsh conditions of occupation.
During my visit to the Save Ukraine center, I encountered children rescued from the occupied territories, with a distressing statistic showing that one in ten had experienced sexual abuse. The reported figure of over 20,000 children abducted by Russia likely underrepresents the actual scale of child exploitation occurring.
The refusal of sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to facilitate the transfer of £2.5 billion from the Chelsea FC sale for Ukraine aid is concerning, especially as he battles in court over frozen assets in Jersey with the support of a Conservative Shadow Cabinet member. This involvement of Lord Wolfson KC, not just as a legal representative but as a Conservative peer and Shadow Attorney General, in Abramovich’s legal affairs alongside former Trump adviser Eric Herschmann, suggests a worrisome trend of normalizing interactions with Russian oligarchs.
Amidst the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, where children are being abducted and civilians are losing their lives, the collaboration between Wolfson and Abramovich raises serious ethical questions. Urgent action is necessary to prevent sanctioned oligarchs from exploiting the UK legal system and redirect the nearly £30 billion of frozen Russian assets in the UK to aid Ukraine. Solidarity with Ukraine is crucial in this critical juncture, emphasizing the importance of accountability and support for democracy.
Join us in demonstrating solidarity with Ukraine outside Tory Headquarters on Wednesday, January 7 at 5pm to voice your support.