Westminster Alliance for Ukraine

During the Mikolajki Economic Forum in Poland on 3 and 4 March 2025, Olivier Védrine proposed to Roger Casale that he organise a conference at the Westminster Parliament in support of Ukraine, followed by a series of Westminster Talks in Europe to build a network of European parliamentarians and experts.
Olivier Védrine's idea was to use the historic symbol of the alliance between the United Kingdom and Free France during the Second World War. A reminder of the eminent roles played by General Charles de Gaulle, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Jean Monnet.

Philippe Laurette's speech on 13 May 2025

" What is very important - and what all the participants must not forget - is the battle for public opinion. This is a crucial point. Parliaments are made up of elected MPs, but if those MPs don't have the support of the people who vote for them, it will be very difficult to continue to support Ukraine and defend Europe as a whole," said Philippe Laurette, President of the Association Jean Monnet and an advocate of European integration and federalism at the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine event. This battle for public opinion must be won, and we can all contribute to it. It is essential. We know that in reality, many people don't know about the treaties, don't read them, and sometimes don't understand them. But what people do understand, in their everyday lives, is that safety comes first.said Laurette

Speech by Olivier Védrine on 19 May 2025

"The key question we must ask ourselves is: "Do we want Ukraine just to survive, or do we want it to withdraw from Europe? Do we only want Ukraine to survive, or do we want Ukraine to win?
Over the last three years, since the full-scale invasion, we have given weapons, but often too little and too late. We have talked about the shadow fleet - we knew about it, but we did nothing. We've talked about Russian assets - we're finally doing something, but it's taken too long. The real question is this: Do we want a Ukrainian victory or not? So far, we have helped Ukraine to survive, to resist, to endure. But survival is not enough.

We need a concrete strategy, not just for Ukraine to survive, but to win. And it's not just about Ukraine. If tomorrow we create a new "S5" or any other limited format that excludes Ukraine, we could find that Russia strikes again - not in Ukraine, but in the Baltic countries or Poland.

That's why our aim - along with all European and British parliamentarians, and hopefully the United States too - must be to build a real and influential policy. Not just to weaken Russia. Not just to support Ukraine. But to help Ukraine win.

That must be our mission. There is no other question. Ukraine must win - for our freedom.
We are at the beginning of a scenario that resembles the period leading up to the Second World War. 1938. The invasion of Czechoslovakia. Then Poland. Then the rest of Europe.
We must not repeat these mistakes.
So please, stop thinking about helping Ukraine to survive.

Start thinking about helping Ukraine win.

Find out more about all the speeches on the website Defending Democracy and Human Rights