Last week, 364 days after Russia launched its full-scale assault and invasion of Ukraine, I stepped into Kyiv. Travelling as part of a small cross-party delegation of MPs, I didn’t know what to expect. The journey had taken more than 24 hours and had only been confirmed for me hours before leaving London on Wednesday morning.
The purpose was to demonstrate our support on the one-year anniversary, showing that the UK continues to stand firmly side-by-side with Ukraine; and to meet Ukrainian politicians and organisations to ensure that the measures we are taking here, and the support being provided, is meeting the need.
The conflict in Ukraine can, at times, feel far away. It’s something we only ever see on the news or read about. In many ways it would be easier to make the case about why we should cease our support and stay out of the war altogether. Russia hasn’t invaded the UK. We don’t live in constant fear of missile attack or artillery shelling. Why would we want to insert ourselves into that conflict? Don’t we run significant risks by doing so?
But the reality is that Russia has been waging war with the West for years. Not always transparently, and not in the conventional way, but there have been clear signs of aggression. From the weaponization of energy which has been taking place for years – with constant threats of cutting off gas supplies – to the terrible poisonings in Salisbury in 2018 and London in 2006.
So, whilst it might be easier to make the case that we should step back, I know that the right approach for us in the UK, and the West overall, is to continue to stand side-by-side with Ukraine. Anyone who thinks that Putin’s ambitions end with Ukraine is, sadly, mistaken.
In the Verkhovna Rada – Ukraine’s Parliament – I saw for myself just how much our support is valued. Representatives from every area – including areas under occupation – stood up and applauded us in the UK. And in meeting after meeting, with politicians and independent organisations, I heard of the impact UK support is having. Whether it is the military equipment we send, which is literally protecting lives; or the economic and humanitarian support which is allowing them to keep the lights on and start to rebuild in the areas they have taken back.
But I also heard of the atrocities being committed. The way Russia is cracking down on dissent in areas under occupation, and the forced abduction of children – where families are torn apart and children moved to Russia.
On Thursday, exactly 365 days after the full invasion began, I travelled to a city called Irpin. Just 15 miles from central Kyiv, it is as close as the Russian’s got to the capital city. There I witnessed the full horror of what the Russian forces did, with homes and blocks of flats destroyed, and cars full of bullet holes. They were the homes of innocent families; and cars being driven out of the city as people fled.
Later that day, back in Kyiv, I paid tribute to Ukraine’s fallen, at the Wall of Remembrance.
As you walk the streets of Kyiv, even with the security forces around, and the interruption caused by air raid sirens periodically, it feels European. Its people are amongst the most hospitable, friendly and optimistic of any I have met. And war has only strengthened their resolve to build the free, democratic, open, Western society that we take for granted.
Ukraine’s fight is a fight on behalf of us all. And for that reason, it is a fight not just that they can win, but one that they must. For if they don’t, we accept that might is right, and surrender our values to those who seek to destroy them.
