Speech of the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Marcos Perestrello, in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

What a beautiful Ukrainian flag, and how beautiful it looks next to the EU flag. They complement each other so precisely — the same colors. It’s very moving to see these flags side by side.

Mr. Speaker, distinguished members of parliament, in February 2022 The world entered a new era. Putin believed that he could within three days install a puppet regime in Kyiv and erase hundreds of years of Ukrainian history and identity. He believed that he could redraw the map of Europe and impose a new world order. He failed.

We were not ready and we should have been. Thankfully, Ukraine did not fall into the abyss. It stood strong and inspired by the Ukrainian remarkable resistance, we, Europeans, caught up quickly.

This is the sixth visit of the Parliamentary Assembly to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. And each time, I witness the unbreakable resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people. Your iron will to resist the russian aggressor and to remain unbowed — even in the face of the horrific missile strike here in Kyiv last week — is a powerful testament to your patriotic commitment to sovereignty and democracy.

I want to honor the memory of all the fallen heroes of Ukraine and pay tribute to all the men and women in uniform, as well as all the citizens of Ukraine who stand up to russian aggression every single day.

I also want to pay tribute to all of you, Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, who have been — and continue to be — outstanding ambassadors of Ukraine throughout this entire war.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly has stood with you and with Ukraine since day one. We were one of the first international organizations to expel russia in April 2014, and one of the first to support the Crimea Platform. We were the first delegation from a NATO institution to visit Ukraine after the start of russia’s full-scale invasion. We have mobilized political support and military aid in our parliaments and established a special fund to assist the Verkhovna Rada and support democracy in Ukraine.

Our statements in support of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its right to self-defense and self-determination have remained clear and unwavering since day one. Allow me to repeat them once again today.

russia bears sole responsibility for its illegal, unprovoked aggression and for the death, suffering, and destruction it has caused. The russian regime and the perpetrators of these crimes must be held accountable for their actions. We strongly condemn the support provided to russia’s aggression by the regimes of Belarus, North Korea, Iran, and China. From the very beginning, we have made it clear that this war is not only about Ukraine — it will shape the world in which we and our children will live.

Ukraine stands on the front line of a geopolitical confrontation between democracies and autocracies. By supporting Ukraine, we are also defending our own security and our shared democratic values. We are committed to supporting Ukraine’s democracy and its right to choose its own path — including membership in NATO.

We are meeting at a critical and challenging moment, and the stakes could not be higher. We support all efforts aimed at ending this war, and we greatly value Ukraine’s continued willingness to demonstrate openness to discussions about the contours of a just and lasting peace. We are at a crossroads, on the path to a diplomatic resolution — but we must be clear-eyed about the stakes. The outcome of any negotiations concerning Ukraine will set a precedent for global security. russia is watching — but so are Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang. What happens in Ukraine will influence their calculations and will shape our future. And no decisions can be made about Ukraine without Ukraine.

Weakness or concessions today may open the door to further aggression tomorrow. We now know what putin is capable of, and we know that his ambitions go far beyond Ukraine. Let me repeat: we were unprepared when this war began. Being caught off guard once may be naïveté — being unprepared a second time would be foolishness.

Our task and our responsibility are clear: first, we must continue helping Ukraine meet its immediate needs — providing Ukraine with the resources to defend itself, its cities, and its people. The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the stronger it will be at the negotiating table.

Second, our priority must be to ensure that Europe, the United States, and Ukraine work together to establish a just and lasting peace, backed by strong security guarantees in which everyone must be involved. We must give Ukraine the strongest possible assurance that russia will never again be able to attack it.

Third, Europe must mobilize today by providing immediate assistance, but also by showing that it is ready to take the lead in guaranteeing lasting peace as part of a future agreement — and that we are prepared to shoulder a much greater share of the burden for our own security.

Fourth, I hope the Hague Summit will reaffirm that NATO will continue to play its full role by coordinating assistance and training through the new command in Wiesbaden, which was visited last week by members of our NATO Parliamentary Assembly and representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

By fulfilling the financial commitments made by allies in Washington, enhancing the operational interoperability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with NATO, providing long-term practical support, supporting Ukraine's defense industry, and keeping the door open for Ukraine’s future membership, I am firmly committed to ensuring that our assembly continues to support Ukraine now, at this critical moment, and in the long term through strong political statements, ongoing mobilization of aid, and supporting all of you and your work in the Verkhovna Rada.

In conclusion, we all strive for peace, and no one more than the Ukrainian people, who bear the heaviest burden of this conflict. It is Ukrainians who fight on the front lines, Ukrainians who endure trials that many thought had long disappeared from the European continent.

Just yesterday, I visited a rehabilitation center here in Kyiv. There, I witnessed firsthand the heavy price paid by Ukraine’s heroes – those who risked everything to defend the independence, identity, and sovereignty of their state. To honor their sacrifice and ensure that it is not in vain, peace cannot be achieved at any cost. It cannot be a peace born of capitulation, as true peace is only possible when it is based on freedom and strength.

Ukraine has the right to be free, it deserves to be free. And our task is to help Ukraine grow stronger. Glory to Ukraine!

https://www.rada.gov.ua/en/news/News/top_news/261509.html