THE LEADER of Reading Borough Council said that he hopes the town can provide a sanuctuary to anyone who needs it fleeing Ukraine.
Cllr Jason Brock released a statement urging residents to support the work of the Reading Ukrainian Community Centre.
He said: “Everyone in the town will be appalled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many will also be shocked, although others, I know, had long feared this.
“What many may not be so aware of is that Berkshire is home to a sizeable Ukrainian community and diaspora, signified by the presence of the Reading Ukrainian Community Centre in our town.
“As such, we should all be acutely aware that the war in Ukraine, and the human tragedy it brings, will be very strongly felt by many in our neighbourhoods.”
Cllr Brock said that the coming days, weeks, and months will be a human tragedy.
“Many lives will be lost, many families torn apart, and many homes will be destroyed,” he said. “A chilling sense of dread will inevitably descend across a great swathe of Europe, not least because of the menacing and direct threats made by Putin himself.
“I am not sure that I can, in truth, genuinely imagine what it must feel like to be terrified for the lives of your family and friends in the face of military aggression. I certainly cannot imagine how an entire community feels when their country faces a truly existential threat. It is always tempting to reach for a historical analogue in times like this, and I know that many are available, but we must not let that veil the immediate humanitarian crisis being precipitated.”
Cllr Brock said that Reading has a long and proud tradition of showing its support and compassion for those suffering from wars across the world.
“I am sure we will collectively demonstrate those positive qualities yet again and, should it be required, I know that our town can once more provide sanctuary and a new home to any who require it,” he said. “Naturally, I retain a hope that the international community can find a resolution that does not entail capitulation to those who seek to undermine international order.
“It is encouraging, of course, that people across Reading have shown no reticence in joining the near universal condemnation of Putin’s unwarranted aggression.
“Many, like me, will be intensely frustrated that no lessons were seemingly learnt, or warnings heeded, from Georgia in 2008, Crimea in 2014, or the war in the Donbas.
“I hope, and fully anticipate, that people across Reading will demonstrate their support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
“Among the myriad ways that individuals will elect to do just that, I also hope that people will choose to express their solidarity by supporting the work of the Reading Ukrainian Community Centre because I genuinely believe in the power of positive localism to build something enduringly strong.”
The borough council will later be flying the national flag of Ukraine alongside the Union Flag.
