Council Motion: Stand with Ukraine

Below is a template Council Motion you can adapt to your local area to make sure your Council stands with Ukraine. You can also table it as an emergency motion if there is not time to table it as normal business for an upcoming Full Council Meeting.

[COUNCIL NAME] STANDS WITH UKRAINE

This Council joins all residents across [LOCAL AREA NAME] in opposing Vladimir Putin’s barbaric war on Ukraine.

This Council notes that [AREA NAME] has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those forced the flee their homeland. 

This Council recognises that we must play our part in supporting Ukrainian people and communities affected by this terrible conflict.

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Reach out to the Ukrainian Community in [AREA NAME] and the wider region and offer the help and assistance they require during this heart-breaking period. 
2. Write to the Home Secretary to offer to do what we can to house displaced Ukrainian families – making clear that we will go over and above to offer sanctuary and shelter to those that need it.  
3. Support, promote and work in partnership with local charitable, community and religious organisations who are working to provide resources and assistance for those affected and displaced by the conflict in Ukraine. 
4. Work with our local school community to urgently find placement for any school age children seeking refuge in [LOCAL AREA].
5. Support the local Russian community who are opposed to the violence and terror being wrought on Ukraine by a regime they do not support.
6. Promote opportunities to support other organisations working on the ground in Ukraine to provide humanitarian aid and shelter – these include but are not limited to the British Red Cross, Unicef and the UN Refugee Council. 
7. Ask our Members of Parliament to raise with the Home Office the issues children, who don’t have a passport, are currently experiencing problems at the UK border.  

This Council also recognises it has a role to play to ensure Russian political and financial interests are not promoted in any of its activities and investments. 

This Council therefore further resolves to:

1. Immediately request a report from the [INSERT RELEVANT PENSION FUND] on the investments our Council’s Pension Fund currently has in Russian companies. Where these investments still exist, Council calls on the Pension Fund to make immediate arrangements to divest any shares in Russian companies. 
2. To review immediately any contractual commitments the Council has with Russian suppliers, particularly for energy, and take steps to cease these at the earliest opportunity.
3. Write to the Home Office to give [COUNCIL NAME]’s support to stricter sanctions on the Russian regime – and in particular to extend sanctions against Russian oligarchs with ties to Putin’s regime to fully block their access to financial operations in the UK. 

This Council also resolves to ask all Group Leaders sign a joint letter to the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary calling on the UK Government to match words with action and;

1. Offer sanctuary to Ukrainian people in their hour of need without having to go through the prolonged visa application process.
2. End our dependence on Russian energy and fast-track the transition to renewable energy sources.
3. Impose the severest economic, financial, technical and cultural sanctions on the Russian state.

Notes:

• Information about the Pension Fund that your Council uses can be found here – alongside information regarding the investments that it makes.
• A campaign pack containing further resources on Standing with Ukraine in your local council area can be found here.