Ambassador of Ukraine to Great Britain and former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhnyi expressed gratitude to the British people for their help in the fight against Russian aggression and called for decisive steps to support Ukraine’s victory.
As informs Voice of America, Zaluzhny spoke to a large audience that included party activists, MPs and government officials, including Foreign Secretary David Lummy and Defense Secretary John Gealey.
The ambassador recalled that after the Second World War, Great Britain, in particular under the leadership of the Labor Party, played a key role in the creation of NATO as the basis of European security. According to him, this experience is still a relevant argument in favor of the “accelerated” accession of Ukraine to the Alliance.
Zaluzhnyi stressed that supporting Ukraine’s membership in NATO is critical for ensuring sustainable peace. He called for an increase in the supply of modern weapons to Ukraine and the lifting of restrictions on their use.
“If Russia launches missiles at any targets in Ukraine, whether civilian or military, then Ukraine has every right to respond in the same way by striking military targets in Russia. Isn’t that what Article 51 of the UN Charter is about ? Probably yes. It’s not about the principles of self-defense.”, – said the ambassador.
He also stated that partners can already help protect Ukrainian skies by shooting down Russian missiles and drones in the west of the country. In addition, he called for the active application of sanctions against Russia and the use of frozen Russian assets in the West to support Ukraine, instead of attracting taxpayer funds from Western countries.
