Today, the Ukrainians celebrate their Independence Day.  How fitting that it comes just over a week after that  meeting in Alaska between Trump and Putin and the subsequent meeting at the White House between Trump and European Leaders – where the independence of this heroic nation was the main topic for discussion. 

I am sure that many Lib Dems will have  joined in the celebrations this weekend – a reflection of the strong friendships that  have been formed with the Ukrainians living in the UK. As liberals we  recognised early on that the Ukrainians were fighting our war against the forces seeking to destroy the very basis of  our liberal democracies – forces also determined to undermine our liberal values.  That bond is  also reflected in the strong relationship that the Liberal Democrats have formed in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe ALDE and Liberal International with  our Ukrainian sister parties  – President Zelensky’s Servant of the People Party and the opposition party Golos, led by our dear friend Kira Rudik.   Many personal friendships have developed, with Kira a well known face and frequent visitor to our party Conferences and Yevheniia Kravchuk,  the Vice President of ALDE,  attending last year’s Autumn Conference in Brighton.  The Lib Dems have stood steadfastly behind our Ukrainian partners during this time of war, but also in helping  to rebuild their country and society when they at last enjoy peace.

But not peace at any cost.  The Ukrainians have fought and lost too many of their people –  soldiers on the battlefield and civilians in  the attacks on their homes – to just give it all up,  as if those that have given their lives were worth nothing.   

I was invited to visit Ukraine at  the end of May to attend the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa, and I was in the country when Ukraine carried out one its most daring acts of the war – Operation Spiders Web – involving  multiple drone attacks from within side Russia on its military airfields, which saw a third of its bomber fleet destroyed.  A truly historic day for Ukraine.

After meeting our Ukrainian friends on many occasions  outside of Ukraine,  it felt right to be with them on their home soil.  What struck me  most, was how normal it all felt. 

Odesa is a beautiful city, located on the Black Sea with a wonderful climate in summer with  outside cafes, which would not have been out of place in Paris or Berlin,  full with people socialising and enjoying the sun.  Restaurants, whose menus and the quality of their food and wine would rival any on offer in London,  were just as well frequented  in the evenings and the streets were busy with cars and people going about their daily lives.  I was in a supermarket when an air raid warning went off. No-one apart from me blinked an eye. 

My visit to Ukraine only lasted four days, but I shall never forget a minute of my time spent there.  In addition to meeting with ordinary Ukrainians in Odesa – including Ola,  who cleaned my house in Devon and baked cakes for the local coffee shop,  but was now back in her home city managing one of its  top jewellery stores. Ola  had fled to the UK at the beginning of the war but had recently returned to Odesa to be with the rest of her family and as she put it – “ to get on with her life “-  because as grateful as she was for the way our local community in Devon had welcomed and embraced her  – Odesa is  her home.  Ola’s bravery and steadfastness  is so typical of her fellow Ukrainians.

In addition to meeting with politicians in Odesa – including former President Poroschenko and Alexander Aleksandrovich Kharkov – First Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional State ( Military)  Administration, where we discussed future twinning arrangements for the region, I  had the honour to visit Mykolaiv – a city located about 85 miles east of Odesa which for 9 months had been the frontline – with the Russian army only only 5 – 10 km from its centre.  I met  Mykolaiv’s elected  Mayor  Oleksandr Senkevych, a national hero, famous for having remained in  Mykolaiv throughout  the siege, when up to  60 artillery shells were hitting the centre each day, who armed with a revolver in his desk drawer was prepared to fight to the end.  As Mayor,  Oleksandr communicated daily on social media with the city’s  inhabitants, keeping up their spirits and proving that he was there with them by their side. 

Mykolaiv is busy rebuilding , its population is back to pre war levels having become a new home for many civilians fleeing the fighting in the East, and the Sunday I visited the central fountains were working for the first time since the  Russian invasion in 2022.  Denmark’s adoption of  Mykolaiv could set an example  for  UK  cities and regions. The  Danes  supply  Mykolaiv  with materials such as hard board to replace broken windows and offer  training and government officials  advice on combatting corruption, improving accountability and corporate style governance – as transparency issues were deemed to be stopping foreign countries from doing business in the city. 

During my visit I also met with volunteer groups,  soldiers  just been released after three years in captivity, and the relatives and loved ones of soldiers and civilians still held by the Russians, and was given a  tour of the city, witnessing  the damage caused by the constant Russian bombardment during the siege. 

I don’t want to make out that in my brief visit to Ukraine  I a fully understand or can claim to know how Ukrainians are thinking about the war. I am sure there are many who just want to return to some sort of normal if, but I think we know that whilst Putin is in control of Russia and his dear friend is in the White House that any peace deal is not likely to be in their favour and renders any peace deal an illusion at best.  Any concessions made now will only embolden Putin  to come back in the future for  more when he has had a time to rebuild his army and restock his armaments and ammunition. 

All of Europe is at risk. And whilst we celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day with our Ukrainian friends, as a liberal party, we must continue to stand steadfastly  beside our Ukrainian sister parties and  remind Europe’s leaders not to abandon Ukraine -for the future of an independent Ukraine is the fight for the future of our liberal democracies.

* David Chalmers is Chair of Federal International Relations Committee and leads the Lib Dems ALDE Delegation