‘Humbling’ Ukraine journey convinced me Scotland should do more – Cole-Hamilton

The Scottish Lib Dem leader says his “humbling” journey delivering ambulances to Ukraine left him feeling Scotland should do more to directly help the country in its war with Russia.

Alex Cole-Hamilton suggested money could even be used to fund production of drones within Ukraine.

Along with Lib Dem MPs Angus MacDonald and Danny Chambers, Labour MSP Paul Sweeney and Tory-supporting businessman Robert Kilgour, Mr Cole-Hamilton spent last week delivering a convoy of five refurbished NHS ambulances to the country.

After being driven across Europe all the way to Lviv, they were handed over to a brigade commander of the Ukrainian armed forces for use in transporting casualties.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Mr Cole-Hamilton said the ambulances were not suitable for use on the front line but would pick up injured soldiers from clearing stations or field hospitals before delivering them to other facilities.

The Scots Lib Dem leader said: “It was very humbling when we heard from the brigade commander that we handed them over to that they will be saving lives.

“In a battlefield situation time is absolutely your worst enemy – if you can’t get somebody to surgery within 25 minutes they will die or they will lose their limb.”

The ambulance delivery was organised by Mighty Convoy, a charity based in Teddington, London, which has been taking vehicles to Ukraine since the full-scale war broke out.

During their visit, the group visited a military hospital treating wounded servicemen, with Mr Cole-Hamilton saying nearly every person there had lost a limb or eye, as well as the “massive” Field of Mars war cemetery.

He said: “It was really hard, but it was amazing to see their defiance.”

The group also visited a Ukrainian factory which produces kamikaze drones at a rate of about 10,000 a month, each capable of carrying a 3.0 kilo high explosive payload.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said the Ukrainians he spoke to are keen for their cause to be remembered in the West, but the country wants to become as self-reliant as possible in its war with Russia.

He said: “The internal military industrial complex is eye-watering, it’s huge.

“This is a country that’s not hanging on Trump’s every word to see if he will stay in the war, this is a country that’s desperate to be the master of its own fate.”

He called on Scotland to do more to help Ukraine, perhaps by sponsoring drone production, though he said his ideas on this are “embryonic”.

The Lib Dem leader said: “If it’s overstepping the structures of devolution to fund the direct purchase of arms, can we at least supply them with Kevlar and body armour and things like that to help keep soldiers alive?”

Mr MacDonald said that as well as the ambulance deliveries, thousands of pickup trucks have been donated to Ukraine from British farmers.

He said Ukrainians are “very, very pleased with the British, they really feel we’ve stepped up and are leading the Western world with our support of Ukraine”.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

“Since Russia’s illegal invasion more than 28,000 displaced people with a Scottish sponsor have arrived in the UK, more than 21,000 of those through the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme.

“In 2025/2026 a further £18.2 million will be invested to support Ukrainian resettlement in Scotland, building on the significant funding of around £300m we have provided to support Ukrainian resettlement since 2022.

“Scotland has also donated medical supplies worth more than to £3.8 million to Ukraine.”