MP for North Devon calls for stronger defence and support for Ukraine

A couple of weeks ago, I watched in disbelief as Trump and his Vice-President, JD Vance, ambushed President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

There weren’t many of us who weren’t deeply alarmed by this interaction.

That moment made it utterly clear that our commitment to Ukraine is more important than ever.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the UK cannot rely on Donald Trump to support Ukraine or serve as a partner in Europe’s collective security. 

Given my seat on the Defence Select Committee, unsurprisingly many of my parliamentary discussions over the past few weeks have been dominated by the repercussions of this interaction and the question of European security.

I have recently met with many ministers, military leaders, foreign defence delegates and other organisations to discuss these matters of defence and strengthening alliances -  from meetings at NATO headquarters to official overseas visits in Estonia and Finland.

During these discussions, I have been amplifying the Liberal Democrat calls for using the frozen Russian asset money to help fund Ukraine’s defence, reversing the Conservative Party’s staggeringly irresponsible 10,000 troop cut, and pushing for increased defence spending to at least 3 per cent of GDP. 

But the UK is undermined when our credibility is unfairly questioned by those who are meant to be our allies. Another shocking moment was JD Vance’s disrespectful remark dismissing a proposed European peacekeeping force in Ukraine as “20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”.

Despite his protests, it was clear he was referring to the UK and France. 

As a veteran, I found this comment appalling.

European allies stood shoulder to shoulder with the US the first and only time NATO’s Article 5 has been triggered—after the 9/11 attacks. I know many people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of whom never came home.

Vance’s remark erased the history of these people who fought for our country. 

It’s crystal clear that Trump only seems to care about extracting resources from Ukraine and helping Putin. So now more than ever is a time for the UK to step up and work with our allies in Europe. 

Even in North Devon, the consequences of the war in Ukraine are felt. I have been contacted by numerous local residents who have opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children.

Now, these refugees face big uncertainty as their visas are set to expire.

The Government’s policy forces them to wait until just 28 

days before their visas run out to apply for an extension, leaving many in limbo, unable to secure jobs, tenancies, or long-term stability. To make matters worse, the Government has cut the ‘Thank You’ payments to hosts, making it even harder for people to continue providing accommodation.

After meeting with the incredible local charity, The Pickwell Foundation, I wrote to the Home Secretary demanding action on this. These families have been through enough, they deserve security, not uncertainty. 

All of this and my work on the Defence Select Committee has made it abundantly clear that this is a defining moment for the UK.

We must strengthen our defence, support Ukraine, and stand firm against those who seek to weaken us.