UK

Families who welcome Ukrainian refugees into their home for at least six months rent-free will receive a £350-a-month “thank you” from the government. After weeks of criticism of the government’s response to the refugee crisis, the Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove is finally announcing a “Homes for Ukraine” scheme. Mr Gove is proposing that a

Boris Johnson is poised to travel to Saudi Arabia next week for talks on oil as he attempts to move the UK away from dependence on energy supplies from Russia. Although Downing Street insists the trip is not finalised or confirmed, the prime minister is facing calls from Tory MPs to intervene to urge the

A Russian-born poet and Instagram favourite who fled the country after her father was murdered has called for Vladimir Putin to be arrested and tried for war crimes. Arch Hades, a pseudonym she uses for security reasons, told Sky News the bombardment of Ukraine was “abhorrent” and insisted most Russians oppose “Putin’s war”. The 29-year-old,

The UK has announced sanctions on 386 Russian politicians who supported Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Office has said. The sanctions mean bans on travel to the UK and the freezing of assets for those who voted for the independence of separatist regions Luhansk and Donetsk. Fears Putin’s forces could use chemical weapons

Boris Johnson has said it has been “deeply upsetting” and “absolutely agonising” to refuse President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a no-fly zone over Ukraine. The prime minister, speaking to Sky News’ Beth Rigby Interviews programme, said the pair have had some “very frank conversations” but the UK and NATO cannot cross that line. On Wednesday, Mr Zelenskyy

Boris Johnson has said he fears Vladimir Putin may deploy chemical weapons in Ukraine as that would be “straight out of Russia’s playbook”. Speaking on Sky News’ Beth Rigby Interviews programme, the prime minister said the only way the war in Ukraine can end is if the Russian president realises he has made a “catastrophic

The coronavirus pandemic is not over and cases among older people are increasing, an expert has warned. Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), sounded the alarm after data showed that an increasing number of people aged 55 and older have COVID-19. About one in 35 people (2.88%) of people

Drivers in the UK have been hit by the largest daily rise in average diesel prices, as the cost per litre shot up by nearly 3p in a single day. Figures from data firm Experian Catalist show the average cost of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts reached 165.2p on Tuesday, up from Monday’s

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has announced the UK government will send more weapons to Ukraine, including fresh supplies of anti-tank missiles, for the country to defend itself against Russian aggression. Updating MPs on the Ukraine war in the Commons, he told MPs that the UK has delivered 3,615 anti-tank (NLAW) weapons and will soon be

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said he would support Poland in supplying jets to assist Ukraine if they chose to do so. Mr Wallace told Sky News he would support a decision by the fellow NATO member to supply MiG-29 jets to Ukraine – but that it would have to be their choice. It comes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address British MPs via video link tomorrow. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has granted Mr Zelenskyy’s request to read a statement to the House of Commons at 5pm GMT on Tuesday. It is expected he will ask for more arms and will repeat calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine,

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mark Rutte of the Netherlands will visit Downing Street today for talks about the international response to the Ukraine crisis, as the UK government is criticised for moving too slowly on sanctioning oligarchs. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will launch into a week of what Number 10 called “focussed engagement”

More than 10,000 people have applied for the UK’s Ukraine Family Scheme since Friday. Under the scheme Ukrainian refugees who have family settled in the UK will be able to apply to come to Britain for three years. The numbers were announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel – on the same day France publicly criticised

Boris Johnson has claimed Vladimir Putin is trying to “rewrite the rules” of international order “by military force” – as he prepares to host world leaders for talks at Downing Street. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mark Rutte of the Netherlands will visit Number 10 on Monday. On Tuesday, Mr Johnson will host leaders

Hundreds of people gathered in central London to protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Chants of “Stop Putin, stop the war” and “Ukraine is Europe” echoed around Trafalgar Square, as demonstrators showed their solidarity with Ukrainians. The protest began with the playing of the Ukrainian national anthem, and Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the papal nuncio to

UK volunteer groups have praised the “overwhelming” response from the public in support of people affected by the ongoing Ukraine invasion.  On Friday, the Disasters Emergency Committee – an umbrella group for 15 charities – confirmed it had raised £55m within 24 hours of launching its appeal. But smaller groups, set up by local community

Ukrainian refugees who have family settled in the UK will be able to apply to come to Britain for three years, the Home Office has confirmed. Initially, the UK offered a visa to just immediate family but on Tuesday that was widened to include parents, grandparents and siblings Announcing the first extension of the scheme

Priti Patel will meet Ukrainians trying to flee to the UK as she faced calls to extend visas to all fleeing the war zone. The home secretary will be in Poland on Friday to launch the Ukraine family scheme to allow Britons and those settled in the UK to bring their relatives over to join

Ministers are considering emergency legislation to push through sanctions on Russian oligarchs linked to President Putin. Government sources have told Sky News that experts are looking at whether current laws could be tweaked or new ones brought in to speed up the process, which has stalled over recent days. Ukraine-Russia news live: Dire warning from

A group of 15 UK charities have launched a joint fundraising appeal to help more than a million refugees fleeing Ukraine as the Russian invasion “turns lives upside down”. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) began the effort on Thursday, with one member executive describing the situation as one of the most “heart-breaking he had ever