French president Emmanuel Macron has lashed out at the UK Government for failing to live up to its “grand statements” on helping Ukrainian refugees. Speaking at the end of an EU summit, Mr Macron reportedly criticised Britain’s visa policy which required applicants to make them in person in Brussels or Paris.
His comments came as the Government intends to further ramp up pressure on the Kremlin. In an update on Saturday morning, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said fighting to the north-west of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv continued, with the bulk of Russian ground forces now about 25 kilometres from its centre.
The French president said this further exacerbated circumstances for those fleeing the war, according to newspaper reports. He added: “Despite all the grand statements… the British government continued to apply current rules that meant they did not welcome Ukrainian refugees who wanted to reach British soil saying they have to travel hundreds of kilometres in order to apply for a visa.
“I would hope that the Ukrainian men and women who have lived through horror and crossed Europe to reach their families on UK territory will be better treated.”
In response to Mr Macron’s reported remarks, the Home Office pointed to previous comments from Home Secretary Priti Patel, which stated: “We are now making the process quicker and simpler by removing the need to physically visit visa application centres for many of those who are making the perilous journey across Europe.”
Meanwhile, Tony Stein, chief executive of Healthcare Management Solutions, suggested on Saturday morning that Ukrainian people fleeing the war could find jobs and a place to live through the UK care sector. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “A lot of operators have job-related accommodation.
"And there must be a way, I think, of putting the two things together and helping some of the refugees coming over, who may well have the skills that we’re looking for… they may be nurses or people who’ve cared before who would be perfectly suited to roles in this country.”
The UK Government also intends to further ramp up pressure on the Kremlin with plans to ban exports of luxury goods to Russia. Details of the plans will be set out in the coming days, Downing Street said.
The Ukraine crisis is expected to be a topic for discussion when Boris Johnson meets Irish premier Micheal Martin for talks on Saturday. The UK has now sanctioned more than 500 high-value individuals and entities since the invasion of Ukraine began, while Russian aircraft, including oligarchs’ private jets, are banned from the UK.
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