IN mid-September, I was privileged to be part of a UK Parliamentary Delegation to Ukraine, to visit the factories powering their noble defence of their sovereign territory, and to attend the Yalta European Strategy Conference in Kyiv.

I was the only non-government MP on that trip, which only served to strengthen and deepen the ties between my party, and the people of Ukraine, for whom this visit was about ensuring continuing support in the face of relentless Russian aggression.

Whilst I was out there, I could see for myself the stoicism of the Ukrainian population, and their desire to end this war – not on Donald Trump’s terms, or on Putin’s terms, but on theirs.

Visiting a drone factory and training ground, I saw the cutting-edge developments that are being worked on right now to defend their homeland, and the brave men and women playing their part in this defiant stand.

Russia has time and time again tested the door of Europe – and now, if we let it, it will have a foothold. But we have an opportunity here as well. We have the chance to remain shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian Allies, and to push them towards victory in this fight.

In Ukraine, I was fortunate enough to meet with President Zelenskyy’s key advisor, who gave a briefing to the group of MPs I was travelling with which lasted over an hour and a half. He did not mince his words about what was required. This is a war which needs to be ended now, in victory for Ukraine.

If any further reasons need to exist for us to want to end this war, look no further than the people of Ukraine. Whilst there, I visited memorials, saw the tributes paid to the dead, and those who put themselves in the line of fire for their country. Back home, I spoke at my party’s conference in Bournemouth of the importance of providing proper routes for Ukrainian children, fleeing their country because of war and in large numbers ending up here, to stay for longer, and to learn about both our culture, and their own, through a properly integrated curriculum.

We have stepped up in the face of this conflict, as a nation, and we should be doing all we can to ensure that those young Ukrainians and their families – many of whom stayed in Devon and Somerset – can both thrive here and build their lives ready for wherever that future takes them.

I remain convinced that in standing by our ally, we will prove what it means to have global leadership in this turbulent world. In standing by our ally, we will not only show the best of ourselves but allow them to show the best of Ukraine. I am convinced that now is not the time to waver, as the White House has seemed likely to do, but the time to press ahead, in the hope of an end to this awful war.

I hope that this is a sentiment shared by you all. Slava Ukraini.