Tom Tugendhat, who is also Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he had talked with members of government who were ‘hopeful’ the policy on taking in Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion would be reviewed within the coming days.
The attack by Russia on Ukraine launched on February 24, has seen around 500,000 Ukrainians flee the nation to safety, many crossing the border to Poland in the west.
The government has been criticised for only allowing up to 100,000 immediate family members to join Ukrainians settled in the UK.
Asked whether the UK Government had gone far enough in offering sanctuary to refugees, Mr Tugendhat told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday February 28: “I’ve been speaking to ministers this morning and I can tell you there are many who are hopeful that this will be something that’s reviewed in the coming days.”
Asked about the EU’s announcement that member countries would grant asylum to Ukrainian refugees for up to three years, Mr Tugendhat said: “I suspect that’s likely to be where we end up to be honest. I think there’s a definite opportunity to be generous.”
He also said that the threat posed by Putin following the Russian leader’s announcement at the weekend that he had put his nuclear deterrent forces on ‘high alert’ was ‘concerning’ but nothing new.
The former army officer said: “The Russian military doctrine doesn’t work in the same way as the NATO military doctrine.
“They do assume that they may use battlefield nuclear weapons and they see them as just a, if you’ll excuse the expression, a bigger bang. They don’t treat fallout in the same way we do.
“That said, Russia has frequently threatened nuclear deployments in the past.
“This is not unusual but at the same time it is concerning, and it is not impossible a Russian military order to use battlefield nuclear weapons could be given.”
Mr Tugendhat has for a number of years been a highly vocal critic of the Putin regime.
After news of the invasion by Russian forces broke, the MP described the sanctions imposed by the west as ‘nothing’ and warned the war could be costly if the UK does step up its response.
He also called for the expulsion of Russian citizens from the UK.
He told the House of Commons: “We need to evict those who have done so much to undermine the rights and liberties of the British people. We need to seize their assets, freeze their goods and expel them.
“What Russia has done today is an act of war. There is no question about it, no equivocation, no possible excuse.”
He added: “We can turn a blind eye. We can pretend that incremental sanctions make a difference. They don’t. Or we can actually take clear action. Given that a hostile state has launched an act of war, we can act now.
“We can freeze Russian assets in this country – all of them. We can expel Russian citizens – all of them.
“We can make a choice to defend our interests, to defend the British people, and to defend our international partners. Or we can do, sadly, what we’ve done too often in the past – watch until it’s too late and the British people have to pay a much higher price.”
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
People in Tunbridge Wells wishing to help Ukrainians following Russia’s invasion of the nation are being urged to donate to existing charity programmes.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is organising the national appeal, with the British Red Cross and Oxfam among its 15 leading UK aid charity partners.
dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal
Unicef are helping to truck in safe water to conflict-affected areas and are also providing psychosocial care to children traumatised by the chronic insecurity.
unicef.org/ukraine/en/take-action
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is working with the authorities of Ukraine, the UN and other partners to provide humanitarian assistance wherever necessary and possible.
Sunflower Of Peace is a local charity gathering medical supplies for paramedics and doctors on the front lines.
