Volodymyr Zelensky addressed MPs in the Commons via video link on Tuesday evening, with an historic speech that echoed the former UK prime minister Winston Churchill.
In the address, Mr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, thanked Boris Johnson for the UK’s help so far, but called for more to be done. He said: “Please increase the pressure of sanctions against this country [Russia] and please recognise this country as a terrorist country.”
Meanwhile, Priti Patel was earlier condemned by cross-party MPs for telling the Commons the day before that a visa centre had been set up in Calais to help Ukrainian refugees trying to enter the UK – a claim now known to be false.
Roger Gale, a senior MP in the home secretary’s own party, went as far as suggesting she should resign over the matter. “The home secretary said yesterday that a visa centre had already been set up in Calais,” he said. “This was untrue and under any normal administration that would be a resigning matter.”
