Wednesday, 1 May 2024

 Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:56): Like many others in this place I recently discovered that I have been banned from entering Russia. Mr Welch, hopefully you will join us on that list soon. It leads me to ask: who is afraid of little old me? It seems our chamber has come to the attention of that despotic little tyrant. He has been sending men fresh out of the slammer into Ukraine to target civilian populations. He breaks his favourite toys fortnight after fortnight, month after month, inflicting horror on the Ukrainian people, following the manuscript of dictators before him. He is guilty as sin and is surely the smallest man who ever lived. The Ukrainian people have a prophecy: a prophecy for a liberated Ukraine and a Russia that is free from its dictator and peaceful to its neighbours and its citizens once more, not looking in people’s windows with menace. I wear this ban as a badge of honour and reaffirm my support for Ukraine and its people in their time of struggle. The resilience of everyday Ukrainian people remains inspirational for us all, and we must never allow ourselves to become fatigued or disinterested in their plight. Their fight is a fight for all democracies. Slava Ukraini.