We, the Members of Parliament, extend our heartfelt congratulations to all Americans on this Independence Day of the United States of America.
On this day 249 years ago, a new American nation was born. It has become a global symbol of freedom, democracy and prosperity.
America’s success has been an inspiration to freedom-loving people all over the world. The U.S. leadership has become a driving force shaping the world’s history and has played a pivotal role in creating the foundations of global peace, security, and rules-based international order.
Today, these foundations are under attack by a nuclear power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council – by the russian federation waging a brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. It started over eleven years ago with the attempted illegal annexation of Crimea and has continued for over three years as a full-scale military invasion of the scale unseen since World War II, with russia’s daily missile and drone attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities.
Today, Ukraine, like America 249 years ago, defends its right to live in peace and decide its own destiny. Ukrainians are fighting for the same principles and values the Americans were fighting for in the 18th century – independence for the sake of freedom, democracy and prosperity.
These are the values that we all must defend, and this is the fight that we must win.
Ukraine has clearly shown its openness to full and unconditional ceasefire and negotiations, as was proposed by President Trump. However, this offer was rejected by putin, and russia only increased its brutal attacks.
Now is not the time to show weakness. We must not allow tyranny to prevail and impose its will on free people. Putin must be forced to stop his aggression and accept a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace.
Our history teaches us that if evil remains unpunished, it will inevitably grow and spread, putting other democratic nations, partners, and allies in danger.
Continued defense support for Ukraine is critical. It is vital for saving thousands of lives of civilians being killed by russia every day in its terrorist attacks. Military support is also essential for forcing russia to negotiate, because it only understands the language of strength.
We must greatly enhance cooperation – especially in the technological sphere – among all those around the world who are defending life. Ukraine must have an advantage on the battlefield, forcing putin to end the war. Therefore, Ukraine needs more weapons and ammunition, supplied in a stable and timely manner. It is critically necessary to urgently provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, powerful air defense systems such as PATRIOTs and missiles for such systems to create an effective air shield capable of stopping russian ballistic missiles, supply long-range weapons, drones and artillery ammunition, and invest in their co-production in Ukraine. Any delay would mean more lives of innocent people, including women and children, being killed by the russian aggressors every day.
This is a pivotal moment, and we need to stay united. Ukraine’s victory will be a victory for the entire free world.
We are confident that together, with President Trump’s leadership and bipartisan and bicameral U.S. Congress’s support of diplomatic efforts, we will succeed in undercutting the modern “axis of evil,” achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine, restoring respect for international law, and reinforcing Trans-Atlantic and global security.
Marko Mihkelson, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Estonia
Zygimantas Pavilionis, Deputy Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Lithuania
Oleksandr Merezhko, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Ukraine
Prof. Dainius Žalimas, Member of the European Parliament
Pavel Fischer, Chair, committee on foreign affairs, security and defense, Senate of the Czech Republic
Rihards Kols, Member of the European Parliament
Johannes Koskinen, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Finland
Beata Jurik, Deputy Chair of European Affairs Committee, Slovakia
Eerik-Niiles Kross, Member of Parliament, Estonia
Frederic Petit, Deputy Chair of European Affairs Committee, France
Andro Krstulović Opara, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee, Croatia
Henrike Brandstötter, Member of National Council, Austria
Sergey Lagodinsky, Member of the European Parliament, Greens/EFA
Pablo Hispan, Chairman of EPP, Council of Europe, Spain
Tomasz Grodzki, Chief of the EU Committee of the Senate of the Republic of Poland and vice Chair of the Political Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Louise Brown, Member of Danish Parliament
Michael Gahler, Member of the European Parliament
Heikki Autto, Chair of Defence Committee, Finland
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair, Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Ukraine
Els Van Hoof, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Belgium
Michał Kamiński, Deputy Speaker of Senate, Poland
Roderich Kiesewetter, Member of Foreign Affairs Committee, Bundestag, Germany
Lia Quartapelle, Deputy Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Italy
Gustaf Göthberg, Member of Defence Committee, Riksdag, Sweden
Ferenc Gelencsér, Member of National Assembly, Hungary
Simona Malpezzi, Senator, Italy
Marco Lombardo, Senator, Italy
Honourable Benedetto Della Vedova, Member of Parliament, Italy
Honourable Giorgio Mulè, Member of Parliament, Italy
Honourable Piero Fassino, Member of Parliament, Italy
Bruno Fuchs, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, France
Harris Georgiades, Chairman Foreign and European Affairs Committee, House of Representatives, Republic of Cyprus
Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Deputy Chair of Defence Committee, Chair of Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, Lithuania
Pawel Bartoszek, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Iceland
André Gattolin, honorary senator, France
Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat, Member of House of Commons, the United Kingdom
Hristo Gadzhev, Chair of Defence Committee, Bulgaria
Tobias Winkler, Member of Foreign Affairs Committee, Bundestag, Germany
Nathalie Loiseau, Member of the European Parliament
Ivan Vuković, Chair of European Affairs Committee, Montenegro
Doina Gherman, Deputy Speaker, Moldova
Derk Boswijk, Member of Foreign Affairs Committee, the Netherlands
Dimitris Kairidis, Member of Parliament, Head of the Greek delegation to NATO PA and VP of the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, Former Minister, Greece
Agnieszka Pomaska, Chair of European Union Committee, Sejm, Poland
Anton Hofreiter, Chair of European Affairs Committee, German Bundestag
Helmut Brandstätter, Member of the European Parliament
Knut Abraham, Member of Parliament, Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Germany
Barry Ward, Chair of Committee on European Union Affairs, Ireland
Margareta Cederfelt, former President of OSCE PA, Member of Riksdag, Sweden
Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, Senator, Italy
Garret Ahearne, Deputy Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Ireland
Remigijus Motuzas, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee, Lithuania
Edmunds Cepuritis, Chair of European Affairs Committee, Latvia
Peeter Tali, Chairman of European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, Estonia
Saara-Sofia Siren, Chair of Grand Committee, Finland
Reinis Pozņaks, Member of the European Parliament, Latvia
Michal Kobosko, Member of the European Parliament, Poland
Madison Jaak, Member of the European Parliament, Estonia
Michał Szczerba, Member of the European Parliament, Poland
Kristoffer Storm, Member of the European Parliament, Denmark
Ivars Ijabs, Member of the European Parliament, Latvia
Liudas Mažylis, Member of the European Parliament, Lithuania
Paulius Saudargas, Member of the European Parliament, Lithuania
Merja Kyllönen, Member of the European Parliament, Finland
Virginijus Sinkevičius, Member of the European Parliament, Lithuania
Małgorzata Gosiewska, Member of the European Parliament, Poland
Antonio Miloshoski, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of R.N. Macedonia
