Russia has seized Ukrainian territory before, when it annexed Crimea in 2014, following fierce protests in Ukraine that toppled the country's pro-Russian president. Russian forces seized control of Crimea before the territory voted to join Russia in a referendum the West and Ukraine deemed illegal. Officials said there had been no specific threats to British diplomats but about half of the staff working in Kyiv will return to the UK. The US has ordered relatives of its embassy staff to leave, saying an invasion could come at any time. Plane fuel is also linked to the price of crude oil and Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has warned tickets for this summer will be higher than 2019, partly because of the rise in the price of oil. It is regrettable - and sadly predictable - that we must gather today to condemn Russia’s latest wave of aerial attacks against the Ukrainian people. Russia's ally Belarus will face similar sanctions because of its role in the attack on Ukraine. He also tried to reassure the British public by promising to do everything to keep our country safe and work with allies for however long it takes to restore Ukraine's independence. As in Ukraine, office techies could be in demand to operate drones on the front lines and to fend off cyberattacks. While climate change is often deemed a threat multiplier, it is clear from the last week that fossil fuels are a threat multiplier too, she said. We live in an unstable world. If rich counties fail to support vulnerable countries in tackling climate impacts and in their clean energy transition, it will only fuel a spiral of instability. If one country reliant on Russian supplies receives less gas, they have to replace it, impacting the supplies of gas for other countries - that's why British energy prices and bills are still affected in a similar way to European ones. Russian invasion of Ukraine: UK government response Another risk is that Sunak’s can-kicking over budgets postpones the serious investment needed in military supplies. Western materiel and equipment are being depleted at a rapid rate on the battlefields of Ukraine, leading to concerns that neither government nor industry have moved to the war-footing required for resupply. Serious discussion of defence spending, procurement and supply will be a new reality for the government for years to come. This shift in approach to resourcing Russia and Ukraine is noticeable, and the UK can consider its response to the war so far a diplomatic success. The UK and our allies condemn the Russian government’s unprovoked and premeditated invasion of Ukraine. As a result, recent military planners assumed the amount of ammunition required and preparation needed would be limited. Russia has now dug in and consolidated in eastern Ukraine, consequently, a war of attrition is under way. If the West became involved in a war with Russia, it is likely to be protracted, meaning supplies would have to be maintained for potentially months or even years. Prof Clarke says the 4,000 NLAW anti-tank weapons provided to Ukraine by the UK are a good example of what can happen. The Ukraine conflict prompted a further revisiting of the 2021 ‘integrated review’ into foreign, security, defence and development policy. In line with the spirit of that pre-Russian invasion period, the original document was titled “Global Britain in a competitive age”. About Sky News Here’s how the war will affect the UK, from potential military action to sanctions and gas prices. The Russian invasion displaced Ukrainians who, fleeing the conflict, became refugees in need of accommodation and support. The Home Office’s initial response was criticised for being slow and bureaucratic, as the department’s overriding instinct to prioritise control, and security won out over pressure to get refugees into safe UK accommodation quickly. It's promising to deploy British forces to eastern European members of the Nato military alliance if Russian troops cross Ukraine's borders. Moscow’s ambassador to London previously warned that the UK would be hit with “immediate retaliation” if it tried to sanction Russia. Some in Kyiv are hunkering down in the city's metro stations and air raid shelters, while others are trying to escape. Although it is unlikely that conscription will be enforced in the UK – it is possible that women could get drafted, too. He also tried to reassure the British public by promising to do everything to keep our country safe and work with allies for however long it takes to restore Ukraine's independence. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko plays down their significance, saying they are “normal exercises”. Russia says the crisis can only be solved if the West agrees to a list of demands, including a guarantee that Ukraine will never join Nato. Some in Kyiv are hunkering down in the city's metro stations and air raid shelters, while others are trying to escape. Sky News Footer The UK does not have significant direct trade links with either Russia or Ukraine , so our economy’s most direct exposure to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is via its impact on the global price of energy. The UK’s total energy demand fell by 22 per cent between 2000 and 2019, reflecting both a shift away from more energy-intensive industries and improvements in economy-wide energy efficiency. Despite the share of renewable energy increasing 11-fold over this period, the share of gas and oil in energy consumption has remained reasonably stable at 73 per cent owing to declining coal and nuclear power (Chart B, top-right panel). This is partly due to the relatively large share of services in UK output and relatively large shares of energy-intensive manufacturing in some other countries (Chart C). However, 76 per cent of the UK’s gross consumption comes from gas and oil compared with a European average of 57 per cent. The revival of NATO’s purpose and a unified western response have been a necessary if painful reminder of where UK interests truly lie. A core principle of European security after World War Two was that sovereign nations have a right to make their own choices. Here’s how the war will affect the UK, from potential military action to sanctions and gas prices. The second conscription period happened during and after the Second World War between 1939 and 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963. He said the UK was leading on creating a package of economic sanctions against Russia and was supplying defensive weaponry to Ukraine.
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