On 6 June 2016, in London, Great Britain, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij met with high-ranking officials and representatives of civil society in Great Britain to discuss continued support for Ukraine.
Eugene Czolij focused attention on the threat to international security being posed by the hybrid war of the Russian Federation which illegally occupied Crimea and continues to escalate its military activities in Eastern Ukraine. He highlighted that Ukraine, in defending its borders, is protecting global security and as such, deserves the steadfast support of the international community.
The UWC President called upon Great Britain to support continued targeted sanctions against the Russian Federation until it complies with the Minsk agreements and ends its illegal occupation of Crimea.
In addition, Eugene Czolij urged Great Britain to support deployment of an OSCE police mission to the special operations zone in Ukraine to assist with compliance by the Russian Federation of the Minsk agreements.
The UWC President called for Great Britain to react accordingly to the gross violations by Russian governing authorities of human rights in Russian-occupied Crimea and to assist in the effort to free Ukrainian political prisoners in the Russian Federation.
The UWC President also focused attention on the Russian disinformation campaign which aims to completely discredit Ukraine and present it to the world as a failed state, and called for countering Russian propaganda and supporting reforms in Ukraine while recognizing reforms implemented to date.
The UWC President held a separate meeting on these issues with representatives of The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House.
While in London, Eugene Czolij discussed important Ukrainian issues with Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family in London. He also met with the Ambassador of Ukraine in Great Britain, Natalia Halibarenko, with whom he exchanged views on strengthening cooperation in combating the aggressor actions of the Russian Federation. The UWC President also discussed avenues of support for Ukraine during a meeting with the Ukrainian community in London presided by the Chairman of the London branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Volodymyr Pawluk.
Joining the UWC President at these meetings was Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain Board Member Bohdan Terlecky.
“I call upon Great Britain, as a signatory to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, to actively assist Ukraine in the defence of its territorial integrity and thereby secure peace and stability in the region,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
The UWC President met with the following individuals:
Lord Bowness Peter, Member of the House of Lords, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Brinkley Robert, Chairman of the Steering Committee, Ukraine Forum,The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House
Davidson Scott, Assistant Desk Officer, Ukraine Team, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Sir Gale Roger, Member of the United Kingdom Parliament, Chairperson of the Delegation of the United Kingdom to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Halibarenko Natalia, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom
Hamilton Alasdair, Bilateral Desk Officer, Ukraine Team, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family in London
Sir Howarth Gerald, Member of the United Kingdom Parliament, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine
Kyzym Ihor, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Ukraine to the United Kingdom
Lough John, Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House
Nixey James, Head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House
In the photo from left: Eugene Czolij and Gerald Howarth
