WOKINGHAM’S thoughts are with the Ukraine.
That’s the message of solidarity from council leader John Halsall.
Yesterday, Russia launched an invasion of the European country, prompting outrage from the international community.
Wokingham Borough Council is among those condemning the attacks, the council leader is unsure how events will pan out.
“It’s unbelievable that we are facing the situation that we are,” Cllr Halsall said.
“It’s a very strange thing to be confronting. I don’t know where it will end.”
He said that if necessary, the council stood ready to help if the government asked Wokingham to take refugees fleeing the country, as it has done previously with Afghanistan’s evacuation last year.
“I’m sure I speak for the whole council that our sympathies are with the people of Ukraine and we will do everything we possibly can,” he said.
Cllr Clive Jones, the leader of Wokingham’s Lib Dem group, said he supported Cllr Halsall’s comments.
“Wokingham should definitely be prepared to take some refugees if needed,” he said, adding that some Ukrainians have already headed to Poland, and that some of those will want to seek refugee in the UK.
“We should continue our tradition of trying to help people fleeing war-torn areas, as we have done for centuries,” he said.
The UK should also be stepping up sanctions against Russia to “thoroughly isolate” them.
This would, he said, “show the world that Russia is a rogue state” that was twisting facts.
“Russia is not under threat from Ukraine, it is not under threat from NATO, and it won’t be if they don’t try and expand the Russian empire,” he continued.
“We could ensure that the Rosneft oil company is included in the sanctions. They are 20% owned by BP.
“The cost of oil and gas are going up, we should be saying (to BP) you’re not having Rosneft, we are, and we will use it to offset increases in the cost of fuel to the British people.
“We should be looking at doubling the winter fuel payments and extending warm home grants.
“That’s the least we can do, but we’ve really got to make sure that sanctions work and Russia can’t find a backdoor around them, such as China.”
