Issue - meetings

Motions

Meeting: 17/03/2022 - City of Edinburgh Council (Item 8)

By Councillor Day - Russian Invasion of Ukraine

By Councillor Day - Russian Invasion of Ukraine

“Council condemns the horrific and illegal attacks on the Independence of Ukraine, its people, and their homes. Council also commends the Ukrainian people for their heroic defence of their land in fighting the illegal invasion. Further acknowledges the protests in Russia of brave citizens opposing this war and those Russians within Edinburgh who have stood with Ukraine in making clear this is not in their name.

Council agrees to withdraw all support and cooperation and will withdraw and decline any future invitations to and from the Russian Consulate with immediate effect.

Council agrees to write to the Russian Ambassador, advising that the Russian Consul is no longer welcome in our city and write to the UK Foreign Office to request the expulsion of Russian diplomatic staff from the City of Edinburgh until Russian troops vacate Ukraine.

Notes the Lord Provost has written to the Mayor of Kyiv, expressing our support and further meetings have taken place between the Council Leader, Deputy Leader and Lord Provost, City partnership members and the Ukrainian acting Consul, along with local Ukrainian community leaders.

Notes the relationship Edinburgh had with St Petersburg expired in October 1998.

Further agrees to:

Ban all Russian Government-supported arts and cultural events and performances in Edinburgh Council-owned venues and encourage other venues in the City to do the same.

Write to the Home Office encouraging unrestricted refugee visas and agrees to work locally to source host families to house refugees, with a focus on those with cultural and language understanding to best support unaccompanied children, families and individuals. This should utilise existing work and organisations like Positive Action on Housing’s “room for refugees” programme.

Agrees to publicise the DEC appeal through Council communication channels and encourage financial donations as the best way the people of Edinburgh can help.

Agrees to allocate up to £100,000 to help coordinate local efforts of humanitarian aid with the Edinburgh Partnership to maximise supplies to Ukraine and support local infrastructure within Edinburgh to facilitate donations and transport supplies to distribution centres in Poland and other locations.

Agrees to write to the MOD to request access to unused temporary accommodation for those travelling to Edinburgh from Kyiv and wider Ukraine in the knowledge that those people will overwhelmingly want to return to their Country when the war is over.

Agrees officers will continue preparations to make sure that schools are prepared to continue any Ukrainian children’s education who are coming to Edinburgh and work to prepare other support services to support those fleeing the conflict.”

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