First Minister of Wales discusses the situation in Ukraine while in Brussels for St David’s Day visit

The situation in Ukraine will be at the top of the agenda as the First Minister of Wales visits Brussels on Wednesday for a series of meetings with diplomats and parliamentarians.

The meetings at Brussels were organised as part of a programme of events held this week by the Welsh Government to celebrate St David’s Day and to reaffirm Wales’ relationships with key European nations and regions.

During the visit Mark Drakeford will discuss the actions taken in Wales to react to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Mark Drakeford will discuss Wales’ relationship with key international partners during a series of meetings.

Wales is ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees and assessments are underway on how prepared the authorities are to accept Ukrainian citizens escaping the war.

Work is being done to measure the exposure of local government pension funds in Wales to Russian investments and financial products.

The Welsh Government will allocate £4m for humanitarian aid for Ukraine through a mix of direct financial aid and medical equipment.

The First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said:

“I am gravely concerned about the horrific and appalling situation in the Ukraine. This is a European conflict, just beyond the borders of the EU.

“As the conflict develops in the short and medium-term, it seems that millions of people will be directly affected in many ways for years to come.

“The strategic order of Europe has altered and may not be fully stable again for some time.

“Wales’s European identity matters now perhaps more than ever. I want to emphasise our Welsh identity as a European nation sharing the values of freedom, free speech and a peaceful European way of life.

“I want to build on our strong working relationship with the European Union to deepen and build on our established partnerships with Member States and European Regions.”