On Tuesday, the British government announced that it will partner with Poland to construct two temporary villages in western and central Ukraine, which will provide accommodation for those displaced by Russia’s violent invasion of the country. The UK government has pledged an initial payment of £10 million (equivalent to $12.3 million) to support the construction of these villages in the war-torn country.
As part of the UK government’s response to the February 2022 invasion by Russia, nearly 118,000 Ukrainians have been hosted by British families. However, some Ukrainians are encountering difficulties in securing permanent housing in either Ukraine or neighbouring countries where they have sought asylum to escape the destructive effects of the ongoing war.
Britain’s government has said the villages in Lviv in western Ukraine and Poltava in central Ukraine would be able to house more than 700 people, a fraction of the millions either displaced in Ukraine or who have fled the country.
The new UK-Poland partnership
“For the past year, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has continued to target civilian homes and infrastructure, with the Ukrainian people paying a heavy price,” British foreign minister James Cleverly said in a statement to British Parliament. “This new UK-Poland partnership will help bring light, heat and homes to those most in need,” the British foreign minister elaborated.
Since the war on Ukraine began in February 2022, Britain has been at the forefront of condemning Russia’s invasion of its neighbour as well as supplying crucial weapons, battle tanks and other military aid to Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has visited Kyiv on more than one occasion to extend support to the war ravaged nation.