Standing with Ukraine

Submitted by: Twickenham & Richmond.
Mover: Richard Foord MP (Spokesperson for Defence).
Summation: Sarah Olney MP (Spokesperson for Treasury, Business and Industrial Strategy).

Conference notes the rapidly changing situation in Ukraine, including:

1. The courage shown by Ukrainians in defending their country since Russia's illegal full-scale invasion in February 2022.
2. Ukraine has - at the time of drafting - liberated more than half of the territory Russia seized since the beginning of the invasion.
3. Russia's near-victory in Bakhmut and its intensive manufacturing of new assets, its deployment of Iranian drones - necessitating urgent additional support for Ukraine from allies.
4. President Biden's decision to permit the transfer of F16 jets to Ukraine, with Ukrainian pilots due to be trained in the UK.

Conference further notes:

1. The potential threat that Putin's warmongering poses to Europe's future security unless Russia is resisted.
2. Finland's full accession to NATO in April 2023, with Sweden also in the process of joining the organisation.
3. Concerns about the potential for Russia to foment crises in Moldova, in the annexed territory of Transnistria, as well as potential difficulties arising for NATO in the Western Balkans.
4. The role of the Wagner Group in Bakhmut and the UK Government's decision in September 2023 to proscribe the Group, over eighteen months after Liberal Democrats were the first to call for the Group’s proscription.
5. The request by Ukraine for the formation of a Special Tribunal to prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression and the work of a Core Group of countries to advocate for a hybrid Tribunal.
6. The UK Government's failure to take sufficient action to deal with Russian dirty money in the UK, including their refusal to publish the full golden visas review.
7. The effect of Russia's invasion on the cost-of-living crisis in the UK.
8. The ongoing persecution of anti-war activists inside Russia, including criminal proceedings for the dissemination of accurate information regarding the conflict that contradicts the official narratives of the Russian Government. These proceedings carry a maximum sentence of 10-15 years.

Conference believes that:

1. The defence of freedom, human rights and the rule of law lie at the heart of liberal values.
2. This conflict will determine our security, freedom and democracy in Europe, and Europe's standing on the world stage.

Conference therefore reaffirms the Liberal Democrats' commitment to forcefully stand up to Putin, alongside Ukraine and Ukraine's international partners, in defence of liberal values, and accordingly calls on the UK Government to:

1. Do all it realistically can, in view of Putin's brazen actions, to help arm Ukraine, including with longer-range precision weapons, as well as provide regular materiel, humanitarian equipment, medical supplies and the training it needs to defeat Russia.
2. Continue to strengthen the supply of British arms and ammunition to Ukraine, and work with our allies to boost the supplies coming from the EU and the USA - including to replenish the UK's and allies' stockpiles.
3. Build on the long-overdue proscription of the Wagner Group, by making the case to our international allies such as the US and the EU to take the same step, and working with them to ensure proscription orders and sanctions are not circumvented.
4. Strive to establish formal cooperation mechanisms on foreign and security issues with the EU and NATO, including through the Kyiv Security Compact.
5. Lead calls amongst Ukraine's allies for the setting up of a Special Tribunal to prosecute alleged perpetrators of the crime of aggression.
6. Take further action to stop the flow of dirty Russian money through the UK, including:
   1. Wider use of Magnitsky sanctions to target relatives who have had wealth transferred to them in an attempt to dodge sanctions.
   2. Strengthening economic crime legislation to remove loopholes exploited by oligarchs such as those in the Register of Beneficial Ownership.
   3. Significantly increase funding to economic crime-fighting organisations like the National Crime Agency, empowering them to seize Russian assets which can be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
   4. Releasing the full golden visas report.
7. Restore the 0.7% of GNI target for international development spending, to ensure that humanitarian aid which the UK supplies to Ukraine is not at the cost of cutting aid spending in other countries.
8. Take a stance to defend anti-war activists inside Russia, through initiatives such as:
   1. Raising in all appropriate forums the cases of individuals in Russia who face persecution for expressing criticism of the invasion of Ukraine or disseminating truthful information about it.
   2. Making offers of asylum to and issuing asylum visas for individuals in such cases.

Applicability: Federal.

Motion before amendment

Conference notes the rapidly changing situation in Ukraine, including:

1. The courage shown by Ukrainians in defending their country since Russia's illegal full-scale invasion in February 2022.
2. Ukraine has - at the time of drafting - liberated more than half of the territory Russia seized since the beginning of the invasion.
3. Russia's near-victory in Bakhmut and its intensive manufacturing of new assets, its deployment of Iranian drones - necessitating urgent additional support for Ukraine from allies.
4. President Biden's decision to permit the transfer of F16 jets to Ukraine, with Ukrainian pilots due to be trained in the UK.

Conference further notes:

1. The potential threat that Putin's warmongering poses to Europe's future security unless Russia is resisted.
2. Finland's full accession to NATO in April 2023, with Sweden also in the process of joining the organisation.
3. Concerns about the potential for Russia to foment crises in Moldova, in the annexed territory of Transnistria, as well as potential difficulties arising for NATO in the Western Balkans.
4. The role of the Wagner Group in Bakhmut and the UK Government's failure to proscribe the Group as a terrorist organisation.
5. The request by Ukraine for the formation of a Special Tribunal to prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression and the work of a Core Group of countries to advocate for a hybrid Tribunal.
6. The UK Government's failure to take sufficient action to deal with Russian dirty money in the UK, including their refusal to publish the full golden visas review.
7. The effect of Russia's invasion on the cost-of-living crisis in the UK.

Conference believes that:

1. The defence of freedom, human rights and the rule of law lie at the heart of liberal values.
2. This conflict will determine our security, freedom and democracy in Europe, and Europe's standing on the world stage.

Conference therefore reaffirms the Liberal Democrats' commitment to forcefully stand up to Putin, alongside Ukraine and Ukraine's international partners, in defence of liberal values, and accordingly calls on the UK Government to:

1. Do all it realistically can, in view of Putin's brazen actions, to help arm Ukraine, including with longer-range precision weapons, as well as provide regular materiel, humanitarian equipment, medical supplies and the training it needs to defeat Russia.
2. Continue to strengthen the supply of British arms and ammunition to Ukraine, and work with our allies to boost the supplies coming from the EU and the USA - including to replenish the UK's and allies' stockpiles.
3. Proscribe the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.
4. Strive to establish formal cooperation mechanisms on foreign and security issues with the EU and NATO, including through the Kyiv Security Compact.
5. Lead calls amongst Ukraine's allies for the setting up of a Special Tribunal to prosecute alleged perpetrators of the crime of aggression.
6. Take further action to stop the flow of dirty Russian money through the UK, including:
   1. Wider use of Magnitsky sanctions to target relatives who have had wealth transferred to them in an attempt to dodge sanctions.
   2. Strengthening economic crime legislation to remove loopholes exploited by oligarchs such as those in the Register of Beneficial Ownership.
   3. Significantly increase funding to economic crime-fighting organisations like the National Crime Agency, empowering them to seize Russian assets which can be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
   4. Releasing the full golden visas report.
7. Restore the 0.7% of GNI target for international development spending, to ensure that humanitarian aid which the UK supplies to Ukraine is not at the cost of cutting aid spending in other countries.

Applicability: Federal.

Mover: 7 minutes; summation of motion and mover and summation of any amendments: 4 minutes; all other speakers: 3 minutes. For eligibility and procedure for speaking in this debate, see pages 110-111 of the agenda.

To take account of the rapidly changing situation in Ukraine, the deadline for amendments to this motion is 13.00 Thursday 21 September. Those selected for debate will be printed in Saturday's and Monday's Conference Daily. The deadline for requests for separate votes is 09.00 on Sunday 24 September.

Amendments

The FCC has agreed to make the following drafting amendment to the motion:

In iv) (lines 26–27), delete ‘failure to proscribe the Group as a terrorist organisation’ and insert ‘decision in September 2023 to proscribe the Group, over eighteen months after Liberal Democrats were the first to call for the Group’s proscription’.

Delete 3. (line 56) and insert:

3. Build on the long-overdue proscription of the Wagner Group, by making the case to our international allies such as the US and the EU to take the same step, and working with them to ensure proscription orders and sanctions are not circumvented.

Amendment One

PASSED

Brighton & Hove
Mover: Michael Wang.

After vii) (line 36), insert:

viii) The ongoing persecution of anti-war activists inside Russia, including criminal proceedings for the dissemination of accurate information regarding the conflict that contradicts the official narratives of the Russian Government. These proceedings carry a maximum sentence of 10-15 years.

After 7. (line 79), add:

8. Take a stance to defend anti-war activists inside Russia, through initiatives such as:

1. Raising in all appropriate forums the cases of individuals in Russia who face persecution for expressing criticism of the invasion of Ukraine or disseminating truthful information about it.
2. Making offers of asylum to and issuing asylum visas for individuals in such cases.