When Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago, thousands of Ukrainian mums and children travelled here to Yorkshire to be welcomed by British families into their homes. 

Among them were two international prize winning, young ballroom dancers who came with their mums here to Castleford. After school, they practiced at Airedale Methodist Hall. They even gave our Ed a few post Strictly tips while they were staying with us. Last summer they returned home. And they are still dancing. 

This autumn I met up again with those teenage dancers in the beautiful Ukrainian capital of Kiev. As newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary in September, I felt strongly that my first international visit should be to Ukraine. To show our continued solidarity against Russian aggression.

Putin has underestimated the people of Ukraine and the determination of Ukraine’s friends. Like countless other Ukrainians, those teenage dancers are determined to get on with their lives. They study and dance by day, even if by night they and other families have to decide whether to sleep in basements to stay safe from drone attacks. They won’t let Putin steal their dreams.

Britain stands firm behind Ukraine, because we know that Putin is attempting to destabilise the whole of Europe. And that affects our security too.

So as Foreign Secretary, I announced new sanctions against Russian oil and gas companies and international businesses that are supplying the Russian war machine. The US and Europe are now going to do the same. I will work with countries across the world to keep the strongest possible pressure up on Putin to get a pathway back to peace.

Whether it’s talking to our allies about European security, meeting foreign investors to promote UK jobs or talking to international agencies about cracking down on illegal immigration gangs or drug smuggling – I’m determined that the partnerships the UK builds abroad help us here at home.

Many Yorkshire skilled jobs depend on exports or investment from international companies. So this Government has agreed three new trade deals with India, the US and the EU. Our recent Tech Prosperity Deal with the United States will mean billions of pounds of investment here, creating new high quality tech jobs for UK workers.

And it was a huge honour to be asked to join the King and the Pope in the Vatican this week and to do a reading at the service in the famous Sistine Chapel – the first time in history that the head of the Church of England and the Catholic Church have prayed together.

From representing our country at historic events, to standing up for our security to arguing for new trade and investment in jobs at home, I’m always conscious in this job as Foreign Secretary that the work we do internationally is about making us stronger back in Britain and in Yorkshire. So when I’m back in the Five Towns at the end of each week talking to local businesses in Pontefract about investment or chatting to the police in Castleford about tackling drug dealing or back in Airedale Methodist hall holding meetings where teenage Ukrainians practiced dancing, I know how connected we are to events across the world.

I’m proud to be flying the British flag abroad because the partnerships we build overseas make us stronger here at home.