A Strong Ukrainian-British Partnership Is a Contribution in the Security of the Whole of Europe: The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Paid a Working Visit to Great Britain

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, paid a working visit to Great Britain, during which he held a number of meetings with the leadership of the British Parliament, as well as with leaders of political parties.

Key meetings were held with the Speaker of the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, leaders of British parliamentary parties, representatives of the British Group of Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine, led by Alex Sobel.  

In addition, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine met with Lord Michael Forsyth and congratulated on his election to the high office position, Speaker Lord of Chamber of Lords of the UK Parliament. 

In turn, Lord Forsyth outlined that Great Britain admires the courage of the Ukrainian people and welcomes fruitful cooperation at the inter-parliamentary level.

First and foremost, the parties discussed strengthening support for Ukraine, the current situation on the battlefield, the issue of bringing back Ukrainian children, humanitarian demining, the exchange of experience in countering russian propaganda, as well as holding russia accountable for the crime of aggression. 

According to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Great Britain remains one of the most consistent allies of Ukraine.  

In particular, these discussions covered issues of military, financial, humanitarian support, as well as the implementation of joint defence-industrial projects and the training of Ukrainian military personnel.

The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada also paid special attention to the issue of practical implementation of the Agreement on the Century Partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom. 

"The focus of both countries' parliaments remains on defence capabilities, support for Ukraine's future membership in NATO,  justice and responsibility, as well as countering foreign information manipulations. A strong Ukrainian-British partnership is a contribution to the security of not only Ukraine, but the whole of Europe," said Ruslan Stefanchuk.

According to the Chairman of Verkhovna Rada, consolidated inter-party support from the British Parliament is crucially important for Ukraine today.

"We especially value the support for Ukrainian-British inter-parliamentary cooperation, which is of strategic importance for our countries," said Ruslan Stefanchuk. 

He expressed his gratitude to the British parliamentarians for supporting Ukraine in Westminster and on international platforms.

"You are the advocates for Ukraine in the parliaments where your political forces are represented.  It is important for us that your support remains sustained, active, and cross-party," emphasised the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 

The parties also discussed preparation for the Firth Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform,  which will be hosted and co-organized by the United Kingdom in 2026.

"Crimea is Ukraine. And the world's parliamentary solidarity must remain strong until the full restoration of our state's territorial integrity," emphasised Ruslan Stefanchuk. 

During the meeting, a special attention was paid to the security challenges, and consequences of russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine informed the parties about yet another cynical night aggressor's attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. 

He demonstrated the consequences to the partners and outlined that russia has once again shown itself to be a barbaric state that strikes civilians, civilian infrastructure, cultural heritage, and UNESCO sites.

"The barbarian putin it trying to destroy not only Ukrainian cities but also our ancient history, culture, and memory. The response to these crimes must be concrete: more weapons, long-range capabilities, sanctions, and political unity," emphasised Ruslan Stefanchuk. 

British political leaders strongly condemned this attack.

In particular, Sir Lindsay Hoyle emphasized that Ukraine needs a just peace, and Europe must do more, remaining united and in solidarity with Ukraine.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada stressed that such attacks require swift and strong decisions: strengthening Ukrainian air defenses, interceptors, and stockpiles of anti-ballistic missiles.

He emphasised that he had received a clear assurance: Ukraine’s security is the United Kingdom’s security, and peace in Ukraine means peace for all of Europe. “Strong support for Ukraine today is an investment in a just peace and shared security. This is precisely the position reaffirmed by our British partners,” Ruslan Stefanchuk stated.

One of the key topics during the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada’s working visit to London was increasing sanctions pressure on russia.

Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked the United Kingdom for its principled stance, particularly for the first detention of a vessel from russia’s shadow fleet, and stressed the importance of further restricting russia’s resources.

“I am grateful to the British government for the new, large-scale package of sanctions against russia, announced during our visit to London. Restrictions targeting the ‘shadow fleet,’ financial networks used to circumvent sanctions, and LNG tankers flying the russian flag are a concrete blow to the aggressor’s ability to finance the war. The pressure on russia must be strong, coordinated, and consistent,” said Ruslan Stefanchuk.

According to him, sanctions remain one of the key tools for limiting the aggressor state’s ability to continue the war.

During the meeting with representatives of the British Parliament, discussions also focused on the use of frozen russian assets, support for Ukrainians in the United Kingdom, countering russian disinformation, and holding the russian federation accountable for the crime of aggression.

The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada noted that the common task facing Ukraine and its partners today is to act even more decisively, to be even more united, and to give the aggressor no chance to evade responsibility.

“We must add the word ‘accountability’ to russia’s political vocabulary. russia must be held accountable for everything it has done against Ukraine, Europe, and international law,” Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasised.