HITCHIN: Read the latest from Hitchin MP Bim Afolami in his exclusive Nub News column.

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There are some weeks when there is only one thing to write about.

This week it's Ukraine.

The crimes being committed in eastern Europe now in 2022 remind me of scenes that we last saw in the era of the Cold War.

I fear that we are returning to such a Cold War world in Europe, and we must adapt accordingly.

For the first time in generations, a foreign army has invaded a European sovereign state. Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, has sent in troops to topple the democratic regime and take control of the country.

Many lives have been lost already, with shelling intensifying on urban centres and cities where millions of people nobly resist Russian ground forces.

I am grateful for the many messages I have received from constituents in support of Ukraine.

This war will impact us here the UK in many ways – food and energy prices will undoubtedly rise.

Local farmers that I have met recently are very concerned about grain supplies from Eastern Europe to feed our livestock and bake our bread.

The humanitarian crisis has begun to unfold

The images of people fleeing their homes to save their families are heart-breaking.

Leaving home without knowing if or when there will be peace to return, is a harrowing reality.

These refugees will need places to stay, possibly many miles from their own homes.

What can we do to help?

Other than the military apparatus we are providing through our NATO partners, we must also enforce punitive sanctions against Russia.

This means depriving Putin and his cronies of money stolen from the Russian people.

Putin has taken the wealth of a great nation and ferreted it abroad hidden and disguised in off-shore shell companies and through property and business interests here in the UK.

This money should be paying for the healthcare and education of Russian people, but it is now funding the very bombs dropping on hospitals and schools in cities across Ukraine.

I welcome the Economic Crimes Bill that was speedily brought through the House of Commons in a single day to be given Royal Assent this week.

We must also play our full part in taking refugees from Ukraine

Last week I met with the Prime Minister and emphasised the feeling that has been expressed to me by constituents in Hitchin and Harpenden that the UK needs to do as much as possible to support Ukrainian refugees.

These are people fleeing war – their homes and livelihoods destroyed by one man's neo-imperial ambitions – and we must stand by them.

The Minister for Safe and Legal Migration has updated Parliament on the measures the Government is taking to expedite applications.

I am pleased to confirm that staff have been surged to key visa application centres across Europe, particularly Poland, and more biometric kit has been moved to support them.

Supporting this work from the UK, the Home Office has put casework teams on standby to process applications to prevent delays.

We have increased the capacity at those centres to 13,000 appointments per week.

The situation is developing quickly, and so the Government must evolve its plans to adapt.

I welcome the expansive Ukrainian Family Scheme which allows family members of British nationals, UK settled persons and certain others to come or stay in the UK.

Furthermore, I warmly welcome the launch of the new 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme which will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety - including those with no family ties with the UK.

I understand that individual sponsors will be asked to provide homes or a spare room rent-free for as long as they are able, with a minimum stay of six months. In return, they will receive £350 per month.

You can find out more about the Homes for Ukraine scheme and Hertfordshire's response here:

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/news/news-archive/information-regarding-ukraine. We cannot stand by and watch Putin succeed. Ukraine is a sovereign democratic state, it needs and deserves our support. What happens there will have a lasting impact on our lives here. We must do all we can. Bim Afolami Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden