"You cannot wait us out" Miliband tells Putin during first visit to Ukraine as Foreign Secretary

Ed Miliband, on his first visit to Ukraine as Foreign Secretary, met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to reaffirm the UK’s backing. He visited a residential strike site in Pryluky, Chernihiv Region, where at least 22 people were killed in recent Russian attacks, and announced fresh sanctions against Moscow alongside £6 million for war crimes investigations.

During the visit, Miliband condemned the devastation caused by Russia’s bombardment, including a missile strike in Kramatorsk that killed at least 30 people earlier in the week. He praised the resilience of Ukrainians enduring their fifth winter under attack, highlighting personal stories of loss and displacement as he toured damaged infrastructure and met emergency workers.

The UK unveiled a sanctions package targeting around 40 entities across Russia’s financial, oil, and technology sectors to disrupt supply chains and cut financing for the war. Miliband also announced £20 million for Ukraine’s energy security, funding emergency repairs to the grid, back-up generators, solar power, and new technologies to diversify energy supplies ahead of winter.

Miliband concluded his visit at a Kyiv hospital treating veterans with life-altering injuries, where he announced £6.3 million for Ukraine’s domestic efforts to pursue justice for war crimes. The UK’s support totals £54 million in combined energy and humanitarian funding, including £34 million for heating, water, and direct cash assistance to vulnerable families.