THE First Minister has lodged a Holyrood motion asking MSPs to show Scotland’s “unqualified support” for Ukraine as Russia begins to encroach on its sovereign territory.

The motion, which is due to be debated on Thursday afternoon, further “condemns unreservedly” President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognise two pro-Moscow breakaway regions as independent states.

Russia recognised the “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic”, and Putin then urged lawmakers to pave the way for military support to be sent to the regions.

The move caused outrage, with the EU voting unanimously to impose harsh sanctions a raft of people "playing a role in undermining or threatening Ukrainian territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence", including 351 members of the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament.

In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced sanctions, but only on five banks and three billionaires.

Nicola Sturgeon has openly called for Johnson to go further, and again makes those calls in the motion to be put to MSPs.

Seconded by Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson, the motion acknowledges the Prime Minister’s “limited sanctions”, but says they “should go further as soon as possible, with severe sanctions imposed upon Putin’s regime, his oligarch backers and their assets globally”.

It comes after the First Minister met the chair of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain and the Ukrainian Consul at Bute House on Wednesday.

The full motion lodged by the First Minister reads:

That the Parliament offers its unqualified support for Ukrainian sovereignty, democracy, independence and territorial integrity; condemns unreservedly Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty by recognising the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, and expresses its concern at the disturbing reports of Russian forces beginning a further invasion of Ukraine’s territory, in flagrant violation of international law; acknowledges the response to date of the international community in applying sanctions against the Russian regime and calls on it to redouble such efforts to discourage Russia from further aggression; further acknowledges the limited sanctions announced by the UK Prime Minister and urges that these should go further as soon as possible, with severe sanctions imposed upon Putin’s regime, his oligarch backers and their assets globally; supports efforts to deter Russia from further aggression and efforts to require Russia to reverse its illegal and provocative actions; records its concern about the grave threat to the safety and security of Ukrainian citizens; stands in solidarity with the people, Government and Parliament of Ukraine, and Scotland’s Ukrainian community, and stands ready to support them in any way Scotland can.