London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 16, 2026

Ukraine: Adam Price and Mick Antoniw arrive against advice

Ukraine: Adam Price and Mick Antoniw arrive against advice

Two Welsh politicians have travelled to Ukraine as the country stands on the brink of war with Russia.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price and Counsel General Mick Antoniw arrived in the capital Kyiv on Saturday evening.

Western nations have warned Russia, with 130,000 troops near the border, could invade the country imminently.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised against all travel to Ukraine and told all British nationals to leave.

In a further update on Saturday, the FCDO said: "British nationals should leave while commercial options remain.

"In the event of a military incursion, it is likely that commercial routes out of Ukraine will be severely disrupted and roads across Ukraine could be closed."

Ukrainians take part in military training for civilians in Kyiv


On Friday, US president Joe Biden said he was convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to launch an invasion of Ukraine which could start in the coming days, with Kyiv a potential key target.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he did not know what Russian President Vladimir Putin intends, but said the "omens are grim".

Mr Price and Labour's Mr Antoniw, who comes from a Ukrainian family, are in the country for four days as part of a UK delegation, which also includes former Labour MEP Julie Ward and general secretary of the ASLEF union Mick Whelan.

Their stated aim is to show solidarity with workers and minorities.

After landing, Mr Price tweeted it was important to "stand shoulder to shoulder" with the Ukrainian people.


During their stay they will meet Ukrainian workers, LGBTQ+ people, ethnic minorities and human rights defenders.

They plan to report back to grassroots organisations at home, with Mr Price saying the visit also reflects the historic ties between Wales and Ukraine going back to the foundation of Donetsk by Welsh migrants in the 19th century.


"The more the Ukrainian people are threatened by Russian aggression and imperialism the more urgent it becomes for socialists, democrats and internationalist to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them - in defence of their right to national self-determination and in defiance of Putin's warmongering," Mr Price said.

He is on the trip in a personal capacity, as is Pontypridd MS Mr Antoniw.

Mr Antoniw said: "In too many of the discussions about the situation in Ukraine, it is the people themselves who are being bypassed. We want to listen to what the Ukrainian people say and to show our solidarity with them. We stand by them and their right to determine their own future and to defend their country from Russian aggression and imperialism."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Cash Flow and Tax Pressures
Greatham Marsh Restoration Restores Tidal Wetland in Hartlepool After More Than 200 Years
UK Health Regulator Urges University Students to Check Meningitis and Measles Vaccination Status
Mining Remediation Authority Completes Major Ground Stabilization Works in Scottish Community
UK Food Crime Investigators Seize 33 Tonnes of Illegal Food in Multi-Agency Operation
Technical Qualification Uptake Hits Record High as Advanced Mathematics Results Improve
UK Summer Temperatures on Course to Challenge Long-Standing Records, Met Office Says
UK Farmers Bring Forward Cereal Harvests as Drought Threatens Yields
Wildfires Surge Across England and Wales as Fire Chiefs Report Record July
UK Nurses Warn of Heat Risks as Hospital Staff Struggle With Extreme Temperatures
Southern Water Seeks Drought Order for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Amid Water Shortages
UK Heatwave Pushes West London Temperature to 38.1 Degrees as Health Alerts Continue
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Global Uncertainty
China’s Kimi Launches AI-Focused Credit Card With Agricultural Bank of China and American Express
UK Residents Gather to Watch Rare Partial Solar Eclipse
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice Faces Criticism Over Legal Threat Against Guardian Journalist
Michael Forsyth Elected Speaker of the House of Lords
Cambridge Researchers Launch £20 Million Human Organoid Drug Testing Programme
Heathrow Loses European Passenger Traffic Lead to Istanbul Airport
Households Near New UK Electricity Pylons to Receive £250 Annual Energy Bill Discount
UK Government Estimates Zero-Hours Contract Ban Could Cost Employers Up to £3 Billion a Year
Robert Jenrick Leaves Conservatives for Reform UK in Major Parliamentary Defection
UK Police Chiefs Urge Government to Block Early Release of Andrew Harper Killers
UK Government Holds Emergency Cobra Meeting as Drought and Heatwave Raise Wildfire Risks
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
Police Conduct Cross-Border Raids Against Northern England Drug Network
Nicola Sturgeon Protested at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Event
Major UK Retail Chain Enters Administration With One Hundred Fifty-Four Stores Set to Close
Heathrow Renews Call for Runway Expansion After Losing Europe’s Busiest Airport Ranking
Government Condemns One Million Pound Thames Water Executive Bonus Amid Drought
NHS England Says More Than One Hundred Thousand Hepatitis C Patients Have Been Cured
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Calls for End to West Bank Settler Violence
UK Prepares for Deepest Partial Solar Eclipse Since Nineteen Ninety-Nine
UK Heatwave Triggers Amber Health Alerts as Economic Losses Reach Four Point Four Billion Pounds
UK Offers Electricity Bill Discounts to Communities Hosting New Power Infrastructure
×