The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk delivered a speech at the opening of the regular meeting of Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council
First of all, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine stressed that it is important that the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Interparliamentary Council is taking place in Kyiv, despite the missile threat from russia: “This is a manifestation of true friendship and an important signal of political support for Ukraine.”
At the same time, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed that today will be marked by another remarkable event: Within the framework of the Intergovernmental Conference, Ukraine will officially open negotiations on accession to the European Union. “I sincerely dream that the two most important processes for Ukrainians and Ukraine – integration into the EU and NATO – will synchronise with each other. I also want them to give energy and synchronise with the third and, perhaps, the most important process – victory in this terrible war.”
“Today's war is a war of attrition. Economic exhaustion, exhaustion of defence resources, moral exhaustion. putin's regime is seeking to break our resistance at any cost and force the world to live by the rules of the past – the law of force, zones of influence and limited sovereignty,” said Ruslan Stefanchuk.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine noted that russia wants to seize the strategic initiative and break through the front line: “Offensive actions are being carried out along the entire front line. The idea of these attacks is to divide our forces and undermine the morale of the Ukrainian military, to deplete our resources.”
Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasised that this is why military support is a matter of Ukraine's withstanding. He outlined Ukraine's urgent military needs, which remain unchanged, including air defence systems, a fleet of F-16 combat aircraft, ammunition, long-range artillery, and armoured vehicles.
In addition, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine noted that the last month was marked by the extraordinary dynamics of international events that will have a significant impact on the dynamics of the war and the prospects for restoring a just peace: “The central event was the First Peace Summit in Switzerland, which was the first significant step towards restoring a just peace for our country, based on our vision and our formula – the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi.”
As Ruslan Stefanchuk noted, the Summit agreed to continue working at the level of advisers and ministers in the format of special meetings led or co-led by a number of countries. These meetings will take place in Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia, and preliminary agreements have been reached with a number of countries that will host and coordinate these meetings: “The goal is to develop a joint action plan. When the action plan is on the table, agreed by all, it will be brought to the russian representatives.”
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed that the meeting of Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council is taking place on the eve of the NATO Summit in Washington, where the Alliance will celebrate its 75th anniversary. Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed his belief that this Summit should demonstrate the strength of the Alliance, its effectiveness in countering today's threats, and give a worthy response to russia's attempts to build a new coalition of evil.
“Our task, as parliamentarians with a direct mandate from our voters, is to use all available platforms and, in particular, today's meeting to convey our position to the leaders of the Alliance,” the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine stressed, noting that Ukraine has a clear vision and transparent and realistic expectations from the upcoming Summit, and first of all, it is the progress towards NATO membership: “We need your strong support in NATO to bring Ukraine closer to this strategic goal. We also look forward to a decision on the gradual integration of Ukraine into NATO's defence planning process as a future ally.”
In conclusion, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine noted that Ukraine expects to expand the number of countries with which it has security agreements, which are not an alternative to NATO membership but help support Ukraine in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Two new such agreements have recently been signed with the United States and Japan, and preparations are underway to conclude a similar agreement with the European Union. Previously, the Agreements were signed with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, Latvia, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden, Iceland and Norway.
“We are able to achieve our common goal and turn the tide of war in our favour, contributing to the speedy achievement of a just peace. Only together can we uphold the values that bind us and ensure a future of peace and stability for all,” the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed.