HISTORY shows us what happens if we don’t take adequate action against a tyrannical regime or dictator. It will almost certainly result in a humanitarian crisis and that is exactly what we are seeing in Ukraine. We know that unless Putin understands that the international community won’t tolerate his war in Ukraine, and potentially neighbouring countries, the situation will almost certainly get worse.

I’m not saying we should adopt a gung-ho approach to military action but as a country we must be prepared to defend what we believe in. The first option should always be to seek a diplomatic solution to any crisis.

It breaks my heart watching images of fathers having to say their goodbyes to their children as they stay back to fight – not knowing when they will next see their loved ones or what will happen.

We know from previous conflicts that unless we take a stance the current humanitarian crisis will only get worse, which will have far reaching consequences for the international community.

Cast your mind back to 2015 when the UK government debated whether or not to deploy troops to Syria which was voted down. In many respects this was a result of the aftermath of the war in Iraq which left the United Kingdom with a confidence issue when it came to taking military action. It can be argued that had the UK taken decisive military action against President Assad the world wouldn’t have then witnessed the global humanitarian crisis.

I was a staunch critic of taking military action back then but when it comes to geo-politics taking no action can be as bad as being too keen to deploy troops.

This is certainly not a decision that many of us would want to have to take but it is what we expect from our leaders. It’s time that Johnson and the Conservatives really came down hard on sanctions against Russia, Putin and his cronies as what they have put forward won’t even touch the sides. If we are serious about standing up to Putin then we have to be serious in how we sanction Russia. If that doesn’t work then other options will have to be considered.

It’s hard not to think of the human loss that is likely to increase but the resolve of the Ukrainian people cannot be underestimated. They have my solidarity but I can’t help think of previous humanitarian tragedies that we have seen as a result of war. What still sticks in my mind is the picture of the young boy lying dead on a beach in Turkey as he was fleeing war torn Syria with his family for a safer life.

Just think about that for a moment and let it sink in. Then ask yourself why Johnson and the Conservatives are not doing more to support those people in Ukraine who through Putin’s actions have now ended up being refugees.

Johnson talks a good game but like all politicians will be judged on what they do and not what they say as often the rhetoric and the policy don’t match up.

The offer of giving refugees from Ukraine a visa to the UK if they have family is a contradiction in terms. It speaks volumes about this Conservative government who on numerous occasions have spoken about 'compassionate conservatism' which is nothing more than a weak soundbite that everyone can see through.

If this government were serious about sanctioning Putin they would give the money that they received from Russian donors to humanitarian charities. They would take inspiration from the European Union who have given Ukrainian refugees the right to live in the EU for three years, no gimmicks, no soundbites, a people orientated policy that will assist them in finding refuge.

I want to see the UK do more than just talk about it.

Barrie Cunning is managing director of Pentland Communications and a former Scottish Labour Parliamentary candidate