From last Wednesday to Sunday, I visited Berlin with my girlfriend. From the museums and Christmas markets to the people and the general atmosphere, I loved it, reminding me why we must seek to rejoin the EU as soon as possible.
But one thing that struck me, almost immediately, was the continued and vocal support for Ukraine in its fight to defend itself against Russian imperialism. From the moment I stepped out of my hotel, which was only a stone’s throw away from the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, the support was evident. A huge Ukrainian flag adorned the top half of the museum, with a message of support in both English and Ukrainian emblazoned across it, while the Soviet Flag Was wrapped up, and the NATO, US, British and French flags flew.
Around the corner, there stood a mural for all to see, condemning the political prisoners Russia has taken hostage, along with the Christmas tree sat outside the museum, adorned with Ukrainian flags.
On every lamppost, there were “Slava Ukraini” stickers. On our first night in the city, we saw a man carrying a flagpole with a Ukrainian flag at the end. Government buildings flew the Ukrainian flag. Museums had fundraisers for Ukraine. The general mood wasn’t one of fatigue or apathy, but anger towards Russia for its attack, and hope for Ukraine’s victory. It was inspiring, to say the least.
No doubt, someone will point out that, while admirable, this was only one city out of an entire country and may not reflect the general mood across Germany. But regardless, it stirred in me a sense of frustration with our country’s lack of continued enthusiasm for supporting Ukraine. There will be many reasons for this, and I imagine some will revolve around difficult personal circumstances relating to the cost-of-living crisis, which will no doubt leave no time to worry about anything else – and that is understandable.
But for many people, and more importantly, institutions, the war in Ukraine SHOULD be an issue that is at least spoken about more regularly. One European nation continues to bombard and slaughter another. Vladimir Putin has made it very clear: he will not stop until he gets what he wants, and what he wants is the destruction and control of Ukraine.
For those who think, “this isn’t our war”, you’re wrong. It is our war. Not only did we make a promise to Ukraine to defend it against such vile attacks in return for surrendering its nuclear weapons, but the UK has also been targeted by Russia before. From the Salisbury Poisonings to more recent increased Russian activity threatening UK waters, Putin’s attempts to undermine liberal democracy are not limited only to Central and Eastern Europe. He can, and will, launch attacks on anyone he deems a threat.
It is the duty of liberals to champion the cause of freedom and liberation against totalitarianism. We Liberal Democrats must be vocal, not only on issues relating to the likes of Nigel Farage and his links to Russia, but on the need for our support of Ukraine to be more vocal, now more than ever. We call ourselves liberals, and now it is time to put our liberalism into practice. We must make it loud and clear: democracy must prevail, else we all lose.
The only thing stopping Putin right now is the fearless Ukrainians, laying down their lives to protect Europe. The least we can do is thank them by making our support louder than ever, by calling on our government to increase financial, military, and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and by doubling down on our support for Ukraine’s membership in both the EU and NATO. We must follow German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s lead in becoming even more resolute in our opposition to Russian aggression and work even closer with our European allies to achieve a Ukrainian victory over Putin.
* Jack Meredith is a member of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and an active campaigner and canvasser with Swansea and Gower Liberal Democrats. His writing focuses on democratic reform, social justice, trade unionism, economic democracy, and the institutional foundations of effective government. He has written for the Fabians, Lib Dem Voice, Liberator, Nation Cymru, Bylines Cymru, and Centre Think Tank.
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17 Comments
Just two questions, 1) how many billions more do you want the UK to give to Ukraine and 2) do you want that money to be raised by increases in taxation or cuts in existing spending programmes?
Jenny Smith:
Two answers:
1) as much as Ukraine needs to defeat Russia
2) preferably increases in taxation
Now let me ask you a hypothetical question:
Which of your loved ones, yourself not included, would you be willing to give away for peace? That is the question facing Ukraine.
Jenny Smith:
So is there a price that you are not prepared to incur in order to protect our democracy? Even if you don’t really care about Ukraine, does not selfish self-interest cause you to realise that Russia won’t stop there?
@Jenny –
It is worth listening to:
“What’s happening with the Ukraine peace plan?” (28 minutes).
Basically, do not expect this peace plan, if accepted, to be the end of Russia’s land grab, it is just the end of the beginning of Putin’s previously stated aspiration to regain the terrorities of the former USSR.
We are in the current mess with Ukraine mainly because of the US. If the US had acted decisively on the intelligence they had back in 2022, Putin would most probably have been deterred from entering Ukraine. However, as we have seen, the US is weak and under the leadership of Comrade Krasnov/Chuan Jianguo is taking actions that favour Russia and China…
You are so right when you say that this is our war. Unfortunately there are some, including in our party who say otherwise. I often wonder if they were alive eighty plus years ago they would have been calling for a negotiated peace with Hitler.
In reply to various comments, I remember watching the overthrow of the democratically elected, pro-Russian president of Ukraine in 2014, and immediately realised that things would likely turn for the worse. I doubt anyone could have predicted that we would end up with a war in Europe that has already killed well over a million people and displaced millions more.
So as we look to the future, as Ukraine is gradually being forced to retreat across the frontline, do we honestly believe that extra finance or extra military equipments is all that is needed to secure victory? The truth is that Ukraine is losing because it is outnumbered.
Perhaps, rather than just sending money and equipment to Ukraine, Europe should be returning the over 600,000 men of fighting age who have fled to Europe from Ukraine to avoid conscription? That would have far more impact on how the war develops.
So Jenny are you suggesting Ukrainian citizens should not have protested against their government in 2014?
Yes, 2014 was a turning point, it resulted in the unprovoked annexation of Crimea by Russia. It was probably was also the starting point of US right wing interference in Ukrainian politics, encouraging a more active anti-Russian stance and with them reversing a previous commitment that Ukraine would not be a member of NATO…
Perhaps, we should be looking to open a second or even a third front and given Israel the task of destroying Iranian drone production and supplies, and increasing troop levels on other European frontiers particularly along the Suwałki Gap and isolate Kaliningrad…
“In reply to various comments, I remember watching the overthrow of the democratically elected, pro-Russian president of Ukraine in 2014”
He wasn’t overthrown. He fled AFTER he ordered his security forces and to shoot and club his own people. AFTER he gave in to Russian pressure to alter their trade policy to suit them. Then he fled with much Ukrainian public funds. Still miss him? Don’t patronise us with Kremlin cookie cutter narratives.
“I doubt anyone could have predicted that we would end up with a war in Europe that has already killed well over a million people and displaced millions more.
So as we look to the future, as Ukraine is gradually being forced to retreat across the frontline, do we honestly believe that extra finance or extra military equipments is all that is needed to secure victory? The truth is that Ukraine is losing because it is outnumbered.”
You make it sound like it is a shame that Ukraine resisted invasion as strongly as it has. Good for them! Size isn’t necessarily much to go on. Finland fought the Soviet Union off with minimal land concessions given in the end. As a Finish General once said “we are such a small country. Where are we going to bury all of their bodies?”
As much as it takes for as long as it takes. That should be our only consideration. Otherwise we are just selling off future victims out of cowardice.
Jenny Smith:
You are portraying yourself as, at best, a “bothsides” sort of person, or at worst, a sympathiser for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is quite concerning that someone who I share a party with puts forward arguments that would be right at home with Nigel Farage’s bootleg BNP outfit.
@Jack, and others
A “ both sides” sort of person….
If by that you mean that I happen to see that there are often two sides to any dispute, then to that extent, I accept that criticism. That does not mean that the weight of arguments on each side are equal. For the record, Russia may feel aggrieved by the Eastern expansion of NATO, and by the refusal/failure of Ukraine to implement the Minsk Agreement which it had agreed with Russia, but none of that justifies Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
So, having made that clear, let’s focus on how we support Ukraine with what it needs to defend itself. I mentioned that Ukraine is being forced to retreat because it is outnumbered and that, as this is happening, several hundred thousand fighting aged men who fled Ukraine to avoid being conscripted are living in Europe. Is it not time that this issue is addressed?
‘1) as much as Ukraine needs to defeat Russia
2) preferably increases in taxation’……
Taxation is at its highest intake for years…
£15 Billion Ukraine will have received at the end of this parliament…
All the while so many UK towns and their communities are struggling to survive ..Hardly anybody in those towns gives a thought on the integrity of Ukraine’s borders. It’s utter fantasy that the Ukrainian army is going to roll through Donbas and retake Crimea…Hopefully the US adminstration will bring this madness to an end. ..
Greg Hyde:
But it isn’t just about Ukraine, is it?
Please don’t be so naïve.
Graham Jeffs
Exactly. People want to separate themselves from what’s happening from Ukraine, which is understandable, but it’s not reality. This is all our war, whether people like it or not, it’s non-negotiable. Now is the time to reject cowardice and embrace our role in combating Russian aggression.
This is a border dispute that’s been going on since 2014.. Wether we like it or not there are some in Eastern Ukraine that look to Moscow rather than Kyiv. Nobody in these comments has enlightened us on how you get to the Ukrainian position of the 1991 borders. They’ve lost nearly 90% of Donbas & are barely holding a line at huge costs.
@Greg Hyde
This is the same language used by the appeasement crowd who thought Germany would stop if we just gave them the Sudetenland. What part of the UK would you give up to an aggressor, and do you reslly think they would stop if we did give it to them?
“In reply to various comments, I remember watching the overthrow of the democratically elected, pro-Russian president of Ukraine in 2014”
“He wasn’t overthrown. He fled AFTER he ordered his security forces and to shoot and club his own people. AFTER he gave in to Russian pressure to alter their trade policy to suit them.”
So you’re telling me, with the expectation of being believed, that if a pro EU president had fled in similar circumstances you would have been totally fine with that?