Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and Olena Vintonjak took part in an interparliamentary videoconference within COSAC

The Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, and Committee member Olena Vintonjak took part in an interparliamentary videoconference of the COSAC parliamentary platform on 16 March.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze spoke during the session “Ukraine and the Search for European Security.” The discussion focused on Ukraine’s role in ensuring Europe’s security and the next steps on the path of European integration. The Chair of the Committee noted that Ukrainians had endured a very difficult winter. “The Russian Federation systematically attempted to destroy us and our energy infrastructure; during an extremely cold winter, people were left without heating, electricity, and water. But we endured. And this means that Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian state — with your support — remain highly resilient,” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said.

She called for caution in expectations regarding the negotiations currently taking place with U.S. mediation. According to the United Nations, against the backdrop of these “peace” negotiations, civilian casualties in Ukraine increased by 30 percent in 2025. “Russia is using this as a negotiating ‘leverage.’ But I hope we all understand: many illusions have already been shattered during this time, and the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the free world continues. One truth is obvious to everyone — there is no lasting European security without Ukraine, and there is no secure Ukraine outside the European project,” the Chair of the Committee emphasized.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze stressed that Ukraine is not only a beneficiary of European security, but also a provider of it. Ukraine’s resilience, military innovations, newly acquired combat experience, as well as its cyber capabilities, endurance in the energy sector, and institutional resilience under the most challenging conditions are all important not only for Ukraine but also for the European Union. “This means that Ukraine should not be seen as a problem to be solved, but rather as a partner to be embraced, and as a country that sees its future as part of the European continent and the European Union,” she said.

She also stressed that there should be no choice between supporting Ukraine and advancing its EU accession — these two tracks must proceed in parallel. “Military support helps Ukraine survive. Financial support helps us function. Reconstruction helps us recover. And EU accession helps us transform,” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said.

The Chair of the Committee noted that if Europe seeks security, it must help Ukraine achieve peace. If Europe wants peace, it must invest in its own strength and in Ukraine’s strength. If Europe seeks strategic predictability, its words must be matched by actions. “So the question is — are we ready to build European security with the unity and determination that this moment requires? … We count on all of you. We count on the fact that this turbulence will not undermine your readiness to support Ukraine. And together we will ensure that the evil of Russia, Iran, North Korea, and their accomplices is stopped, and that we can focus on prosperity, development, and a secure future for our continent,” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze concluded.

Committee member Olena Vintonjak, speaking during the session “The EU and the Crisis in the Middle East,” stressed that the crisis once again demonstrated how fragile international security is and how closely interconnected conflicts in different regions are.

According to her, Ukraine consistently advocates for and calls for strict adherence to international law and the UN Charter. “At the same time, we must clearly recognise the sources of instability. The regime in Tehran poses a significant threat as it fuels conflicts and confrontations in the Middle East. Moreover, this is not just a regional actor — it is a direct ally of Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine. Iran has supplied Russia with thousands of ‘Shahed’ drones, their production technologies, and other military capabilities,” Olena Vintonjak said.

She noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation has launched over 57,000 unmanned aerial vehicles against Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. This cooperation between Moscow and the Iranian regime forms a strategic alliance of authoritarian regimes that directly threatens European security. “Therefore, maintaining European unity and preventing divisions within the Euro-Atlantic community is critically important,” Olena Vintonjak emphasized.