A UKRAINIAN diplomat told MSPs his country “deserves to be heard” in negotiations about its future, as he called for Western unity to exert a “final push on the enemy”.
Andrii Madzianovsky, the consul of Ukraine in Scotland, said the “country which is actually at war” must be at the negotiating table.
This comes following the Trump administration opening negotiations with Russia on ending the conflict, without including a Ukrainian delegation.
First Minister John Swinney recently restated his support for Ukraine, saying: “I want to offer my assurance on our continuing commitment to securing a fair, durable peace
“I stand with European leaders as part of a united front that supports the independence of Ukraine, secures a just peace and deters any future Russian aggression.
Earlier this week, a special service was held at Edinburgh Castle to mark three years since the outbreak of the full-scale war, with First Minister John Swinney and other party leaders joining members of the Ukrainian community.
Madzianovsky told MSPs on Thursday that “Ukraine and the civilised world are going through difficult times” due to the “war criminal Putin”.
He said Ukraine’s requests for support from the UK is in three key areas – weaponry, sanctions on Russia, and diplomacy.
Speaking to Holyrood’s External Affairs Committee through an interpreter, he thanked Scots for the welcome shown to the roughly 30,000 Ukrainians who have arrived since the outbreak of the full-scale war three years ago.
He also said Ukraine remembers “every bullet and arm” donated by the UK.
Madzianovsky said in diplomacy, it is “particularly important to have at the negotiation table – which is supported by the UK – the country which is actually at war”.
He continued: “The country that bleeds within this war and sacrifices the lives of its people every single day deserves to be heard. We require not only peace, but a just peace.”
He said events on the battlefield and diplomacy will result in a strong position for Ukraine.
He continued: “Without Western arms and economic sanctions, Ukraine would have a much harder time in this war.
“Currently [it] is the time to reach maximum unity and to exert the final push on the enemy.”
The consul said as a diplomat, he is confident “common ground” can be found between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He told MSPs: “We have lost 600 children in this war. How can we ever forgive that? How can we ever retreat after that?”
