It is important for the future of Ukraine to have strong ties between our parliaments and our countries
On the second day of the official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the delegation of the Parliament of Ukraine headed by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk met with British colleagues, members of both Houses of Parliament representing the UK-Ukraine Friendship Group and the Conservative Friends of Ukraine initiative group.
The Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament sincerely thanked his British colleagues for rooting for Ukraine, standing shoulder to shoulder with it and continuing to support it throughout the war.
“It is important for the future of Ukraine to have strong ties between our parliaments and our countries. Today we are working together and it shows the whole world that we are strong because we are together,” Ruslan Stefanchuk said at the beginning of the meeting.
He also noted that during the two-day visit, the Ukrainian delegation has been receiving tremendous support from its British colleagues, who have already met with them in the UK Parliament. According to him, Ukrainian MPs had the opportunity not only to thank the British Parliament for what it has already done to demonstrate unity between parties and chambers, but also to discuss very important things for Ukraine’s future victory.
In particular, the meeting focused on the UK’s leadership in assisting Ukraine, especially in the military sphere: providing weapons, training our military to NATO standards, developing qualitatively new processes and initiatives to support the Ukrainian army. The Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine urged his British colleagues not to reduce the power of such support, as only the unity of countries will allow Ukraine to win and bring peace to the continent.
“Our delegation has a broad representation of the entire Ukrainian Parliament, main committees, factions and groups, so that we can think together about those things where we can most effectively provide information, share experiences and talk about what is extremely important for Ukraine today,” the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called for strengthening inter-parliamentary relations.
He also emphasised those important initiatives where the UK Parliament’s decisions are an example for other parliaments to follow. In particular, the parties discussed the creation of a special tribunal for the russian leadership and all those involved in atrocities and crimes in Ukraine; strengthening sanctions pressure against russia and complete international isolation of the aggressor country; support for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and their promotion by the UK at the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius; recognition of the Holodomor of 1932-33 as genocide of the Ukrainian people as a restoration of historical justice for Ukraine and prevention of similar tragedies of humanity in the future.
In addition, the participants focused on the development of inter-parliamentary diplomacy, where the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament emphasised the possibility of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine’s participation in the G7 and G20 parliamentary summits.
“It is important for us to effectively use these platforms to convey the truth about the consequences of russian military aggression. Direct communication between representatives of parliaments allows us to understand each other better and to counter russian propaganda together,” said Ruslan Stefanchuk.
For their part, British MPs expressed their full support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their fight against the russian invasion. According to them, they have united in friendship groups with Ukraine precisely to make such support comprehensive and unquestioning among representatives of the British Parliament and various circles of British society.
The interlocutors also stressed that their activities as friends of Ukraine are aimed at promoting and advocating for the Ukrainian state at all possible platforms and in various institutions to protect its interests and strengthen its capabilities on the path to victory, peace and justice.