Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Democracy: Eastern Europe

Tuesday 26 April 2022 · 7 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 6 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK supports democratic reform across eastern Europe through programmes that strengthen democratic freedoms and reduce corruption.
  • The UK will continue its leading role in NATO, establishing additional battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.
  • The UK supports stability in the western Balkans through sanctions against Republika Srpska leadership and engages with regional states to counter Russian threats.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Caroline Ansell Con
Democracy & Elections Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP is concerned about the stability and security of democratic processes in countries like Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Albania, and North Macedonia following Russia's invasion.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to help safeguard democracy across eastern Europe where several countries are transitioning from authoritarianism towards freedom?

Answer from James Cleverly

The UK supports democratic reform across eastern Europe through programmes that strengthen democratic freedoms to deliver reforms and reduce corruption. We also work with partners in the western Balkans to support their Euro-Atlantic integration which acts as a stimulus for reform.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions or mechanisms for supporting reform in Moldova, Georgia, Albania, North Macedonia, and Ukraine were not detailed.

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Q2 Sarah Atherton
Ukraine Defence
Context

The MP acknowledges the UK's military assistance to NATO allies and asks for confirmation of continued collaboration.

Question

Without doubt, the UK is leading in providing military support to eastern Europe. We send Challenger 2 tanks to Poland and double our deployment in Estonia. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that the UK is working closely with NATO allies to provide all necessary support?

Answer from James Cleverly

The UK will continue a leading role in NATO, responding to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. We are establishing additional battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and supporting regional partners against cyber-attacks, disinformation, political interference.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on the UK's plans for future NATO support were not provided.

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Q3 Caroline Ansell Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP acknowledges the bravery of Ukrainian people defending democracy and questions support for other transitional democracies.

Question

I thank the Minister for his answer. Many countries in eastern Europe are still transitioning towards full democratic freedoms such as Moldova, Georgia, Albania, North Macedonia. What work is being done to support reform?

Answer from James Cleverly

The UK supports democratic reform in the western Balkans, south Caucasus, Moldova through programmes strengthening freedoms. We also support Euro-Atlantic integration of partners as a stimulus for domestic reform.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on initiatives and partnerships were not provided.

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Q4 Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale
Defence
Context

The MP is concerned about the size of Britain's Army being smaller than any time in the last 200 years, with plans to further reduce personnel.

Question

Britain's Army is the smallest it has been in over two centuries. Plans are to reduce our armed forces by a further 20,000 individuals. If we wish to stand by our eastern European allies, do we need to be militarily strong enough?

Answer from James Cleverly

Ultimately, questions about UK's military capacity would better be answered by Defence Ministers. However, close working between FCDO and MOD ensures the UK remains a top-tier defence country within NATO supporting allies against physical and digital threats.

Not addressed: Questions regarding UK's military strength for NATO support were deflected to Defense Ministers.

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Q5 Hilary Benn Lab Leeds South
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP raises the possibility of Finland and Sweden applying for NATO membership due to Russia's invasion.

Question

Many countries chose to join NATO as soon as they were free. Given Russia's invasion, Finland and Sweden are considering applications. Is the Minister confident that NATO would agree to admit them?

Answer from James Cleverly

A number of countries including Finland and Sweden may apply for NATO membership, which would be considered seriously by member states. Our view is that they would be an asset to NATO.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific confidence level was not provided; the answer remains non-committal.

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Q6 Stephen Doughty Labour (Co-op) Cardiff South and Penarth
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP welcomes sanctions against Republika Srpska leader Dodik and others, raising concerns about regional stability.

Question

It is good to hear the Minister mention the situation in the western Balkans where democracy and stability are under threat from Putin's Russia and local chaos generators. What wider discussions are you having with allies?

Answer from James Cleverly

The UK supports stability in the western Balkans through sanctions against Republika Srpska leadership. We are working with our special representatives like Stuart Peach who is active in engagement with regional states to counter Russian threats.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on broader discussions and cooperation were not provided.

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Q7 Jake Berry Con
Ukraine Democracy & Elections Foreign Affairs
Context

The question arises from a previous inquiry into funding support for Ukraine using seized Russian assets. The MP is following up on the Prime Minister's response that such measures are under consideration.

Question

Democracy is ultimately built on hope. In response to a recent question to the Prime Minister about my suggestion that we fund a new Marshall plan for Ukraine from seized Russian assets, he said that that is something that his Government are working on. Can the Minister update the House as to what work is taking place in his Department?

Answer from James Cleverly

My right hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. We are currently supporting Ukraine and eastern European countries through our humanitarian support to deal with the initial and immediate pressures. What we can do in terms of reparations is ultimately a matter that will need to be done at Foreign Minister level within the UK and internationally, but I, and I am sure the Government, take his suggestion very seriously.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific work being done within the department regarding funding support for Ukraine using seized Russian assets was not addressed.

How: Under Review, Internationally

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