Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze met with British MP Iain Duncan Smith. He is a member of the UK Parliament’s Friendship Group with Ukraine and also part of the group working on sanctions against the russian federation.
During the meeting, they discussed Western support for Ukraine, the need for investment in Ukraine’s defense industry, and the importance of increasing pressure on russia.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze emphasized that putin has no intention of backing down, and the West should not harbor illusions about “peace deals” with russia.
«Throughout its entire history, russia has done nothing but wage wars of conquest. And now, putin has no intention of stopping. He wants to go down in history as a gatherer of lands, a restorer of the empire. Putin seeks nothing less than Ukraine’s capitulation. But for us, surrender means the end of our existence,» said the Committee Chair.
She noted that today russia is pursuing the same imperial policy toward Ukraine as it has for centuries — aiming to destroy Ukrainian identity, language, and culture. That is why this war is existential for Ukraine.
The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU urged her British colleague to work on strengthening support for Ukraine not only in the United Kingdom but also among other European and American partners:
«We must find new arguments — not only emotional but also entirely practical — to explain why the West must continue supporting Ukraine.»
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze outlined Ukraine’s key priorities for international support: the provision of air defense systems, investment in Ukraine’s defense industry, funding for arms procurement for Ukraine in the United States, and strengthening sanctions against the russian federation.