As we approach the one-year anniversary of Putin’s illegal invasion, we should reflect on the immense suffering Ukraine has endured, and the remarkable courage and resilience of its people. It is clearer than ever that Putin must be defeated in Ukraine.  

Britain must stand full square behind Ukraine, strengthening its hand on the battlefield, supporting humanitarian aid and reconstruction, maintaining Western unity, isolating Putin and undermining Russia’s war effort.  

I had the privilege of visiting Ukraine in September and to see this beautiful country and its beautiful people being ravaged by this illegal invasion. I will never forget the unity, bravery and resolve of the Ukrainian people. 

The Labour Party is totally united in providing support to Ukraine to defend itself and this must continue.  

I thank the families, local organisations and schools who have given Ukrainians coming to Putney, Southfields and Roehampton such a warm welcome. In particular St Michaels and St Stephens Church in Southfields who run a regular Friday night supper. 

Labour stands unshakably with NATO allies in providing military, economic, diplomatic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the face of Putin’s illegal invasion.  

Language is important. When we speak about what is happening in Ukraine, we need to keep in mind it is not just a war. To suggest it is a war implies legitimacy and some sort of just cause.  

What has been happening is more than a war – it is an act of aggression, a crime against humanity and atrocities have taken place. 

After a year of violence, Russia’s brutal political and military strategy in Ukraine continues to be implemented through deliberate, widespread, and systematic perpetration of mass atrocity crimes.  

In the past year, the names of towns and cities where evidence of mass atrocity crimes has been documented have become well-known: Irpin, Izyum, Bucha, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Mariupol, among too many others.  

As Putin and his forces become more desperate, they also become more dangerous; amid a new offensive the likelihood of new and different forms of Russian atrocity crimes being committed against Ukrainian civilians and combatants have once again increased.  

This is why, in addition to support now, we need a special tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the crime of aggression and crimes against humanity.   

The growing body of evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, including the reports of mass graves in liberated areas, demand accountability and justice. 

We on the opposition benches strongly supports all international efforts to document, investigate and prosecute these crimes. But also international support for the Ukrainian legal system which now has 60,000 cases. I support the training being given lawyers and judges to support trying these cases effectively, but local legal organisations are requesting more lawyers and more judges. 

We also support the call for a special tribunal with a different but necessary remit to the ICC. We have been calling for this since March last year. I welcome the UK’s leadership in the International Working Group on a special tribunal. 

Establishing a tribunal would fill a vacuum in international criminal justice and complement the investigative efforts of the International Criminal Court, as it currently cannot investigate the crime of aggression when it comes to Ukraine. 

And creating this tribunal would send a very clear signal to both Russian society and the international community that President Putin and the Russian leadership at large can be convicted for the crime of aggression in Ukraine.

It is no longer feasible for the Russian Federation under Putin’s leadership to return to business as usual with the west. The existence of such a tribunal sends a clear message to Putin that he is not going to get away with this. 

And while the Government has moved to freeze dirty Russian assets, the EU has already set out a plan to shift frozen assets into a fund to help rebuild Ukraine, and Canada has passed laws allowing it to do the same. The government said in July it supported using frozen assets to rebuild Ukraine, so what’s causing the delay? 

Civil society is calling for psychosocial support and trauma counselling. This is important both in the present moment in Ukraine and for rebuilding Ukraine in the future.

Lastly, I lived in Bosnia during the genocide there and have been greatly concerned by the brazen attempts by Putin to win the hearts and minds of the Balkan people and disturb the hard-won peace and support the rise of Serbian nationalism.  

It is so important we counter Russian attempts to sow disinformation across the Western Balkans – a key region – and to ensure that Europe is united against Russian belligerence.

We stand united against Putin’s aggression and in admiration for Ukrainians, their bravery, their unity and their military success.

If we stand together, Ukraine will be free and justice will out.