Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she took before 24 February 2022 to deter Russia from invading Ukraine.

As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to Parliament on 25 January, we are working with Allies and partners to challenge Russia's threatening behaviour, and to make clear the severe costs to Russia of any further military incursion. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba on 4 January, ahead of joining an extraordinary meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on 7 January. She met the NATO Secretary General in Brussels on 24 January, and spoke to US Secretary of State Blinken on 25 January and German Foreign Minister Baerbock on 28 January. I [Minister Cleverly] attended the NATO Russia Council on 12 January, and discussed Ukraine with the US, French and German Foreign Ministers in Berlin on 20 January. Former Minister of Europe, Chris Heaton-Harris, spoke to the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Poland and Ukraine on 18 January and the Ukrainian Ambassador to London on 27 January. The Foreign Secretary has also engaged in recent weeks with other Allies, including Poland, Slovakia and Turkey.