The first Ukrainian refugees have left their temporary hostel accommodation in Calais amid chaotic scenes as their quest for safe passage to the UK remains mired in farce. Several refugees clutching suitcases and other belongings were scrambled out of a back door of the Centre Europeen de Sejours in the French port as local mayor Natacha Bouchart arrived to address the media in front of the building. The refugees were […]

Experts have warned of the impact new sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports could have on the cost of living in the UK. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced on Tuesday the UK will phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of the year in a move matched by US President Joe Biden. The moves were praised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who said […]

That's according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Drivers have been hit by the steepest weekly hike in fuel prices in at least 18 years due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts rose from 149.2p on February 28 to 153.0p on Monday, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Average diesel prices rose […]

Boris Johnson has insisted the UK will be as generous as possible to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion as criticism continued over the slow pace of processing visa applications. Amid signs of frustration in Whitehall, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace offered military support to the Home Office to help deal with the backlog of people trying to get into the UK. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced that a new visa […]

A fundraising sale organised by a Ukrainian baker to help those caught up in the conflict in his homeland has raised at least £25,000. Hundreds of people queued around the block to buy cakes, buns and other baked treats from the Deanston Bakery in the Shawlands area of Glasgow on Sunday. Yuriy Kachak organised the fundraising initiative as he felt “helpless” when news of the Russian invasion unfolded and decided […]

Poland has not and will not send its fighter jets to Ukraine to support the embattled country’s defence against Russia, Polish government officials said on Monday. Marcin Przydacz, a deputy foreign minister, said in an interview on Radio Zet: “We will not open our airports and Polish planes will not fight over Ukraine … Polish planes will not fight over Ukraine.” But, separately, the government’s spokesman Piotr Mueller indicated a […]

The West has “failed to learn the lessons of Russian behaviour” that have led to the invasion of Ukraine, the Prime Minister said as he warned world leaders: “We need to prepare now for even darker days ahead.” In a nearly 1,300-word essay in the New York Times published on Sunday, Boris Johnson appealed to his counterparts to do more to resist the normalisation of the Russian offensive. “Have we […]

British nationals who are still in Russia have been told they should leave if it is not essential they stay in the country. The Foreign Office updated its advice on Saturday to say Britons should use the remaining commercial routes to flee the nation. A post on the Foreign Office website said: “If your presence in Russia is not essential, we strongly advise that you consider leaving by remaining commercial […]

Nearly 100 people were intercepted crossing the English Channel in the past 24 hours, the Home Office has confirmed. The groups of people on three boats were brought ashore by the RNLI and Border Force at Dover. The total of 99 people arriving on Friday are the latest of more than 1,500 people to have made the crossing this year. Many were wrapped in blankets and gave a thumbs-up and […]