We must continue to back Ukraine

 

Today sees the third anniversary of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. Terrorist state Russia remains an international pariah among civilised nations, but there has been some truly appalling lies and disgusting behaviour coming from the US President and his Administration.

Donald Trump’s attempts to rewrite recent history and his repeated insults of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are sickening and should be condemned by all politicians who value decency and the truth. Zelensky is a hero, not a dictator, and has been bravely leading Ukraine in an existential battle for survival.

Zelensky is many times the man that the liar Trump will ever be. I suspect Trump’s personal jealously is fuelling this unwarranted criticism, noting he never seems to utter a word of criticism of Putin and keeps parroting the Kremlin line.

Trump’s disinformation must be called out and corrected, and I welcome that senior politicians from all the main political parties are doing so. Sadly, there is one exception, with the Reform Party leadership appearing to put their hero-worship of Trump, before accuracy and what is right for the collective security of Europe.       

Whatever Trump and Elon Musk claim, the cold hard truth is that Russia is the aggressor and is wholly at fault for the war in Ukraine. Russia could end the war tomorrow, by withdrawing back to their borders, but they won’t as Putin now has a trump card, literally, occupying the White House.

The best way to ensure a true and lasting peace and to deter aggressive dictators around the world is for Russia to be defeated and be forced to retreat back to their own borders. Anything short of that is a reward for aggression, which will set a very dangerous precedent for the world.

When we Conservatives were in government, we had Labour opposition backing in supporting Ukraine and we are right to continue that with the roles now reversed. Everyone wants peace, but a temporary one that rewards a near-broken Russia, that allows them to recover and rearm, is a fool’s peace that ultimately puts more of the world at real risk.