Key Takeaways:
- Parliamentary Unity is Critical: European parliaments must coordinate their efforts—not just governments—to effectively support Ukraine and dismantle Russia’s war-financing structures.
- Shadow Fleet Fuels Russian Aggression: Sobel highlighted the role of the “shadow fleet” in sustaining the Kremlin’s war economy, warning of fragmented international sanctions.
- Asset Seizure Requires Cross-Border Cooperation: Isolated national efforts to seize Russian state assets are ineffective without joint action across jurisdictions.
- Peace Depends on Full Sovereignty: The goal must be a just and lasting peace in Ukraine—based on its 1991 internationally recognized borders, without compromise.
Transcript – Alex Sobel, MP (UK)
Remarks at the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine event
Thank you so much, Roger. I think today is an important day in the history of parliamentary action on Ukraine. Westminster is no stranger to initiating significant and historical international fora. For instance, the world’s oldest inter-parliamentary organization was formed here 150 years ago between the parliaments of the United Kingdom and France.
Today, we’re facing a clear geopolitical shift in relation to Ukraine, particularly since January of this year. While there may be differing views on the position of the United States and recent remarks by President Trump, one thing is clear: he stated that this is now a burden for Europe to carry. And we have heard and understood that message. But this burden is not just for European governments—it is also for European parliaments.
Today marks the beginning of that parliamentary journey. Until now, we’ve worked individually within our own friendship groups in national parliaments—Zabid is the chair here in the UK Parliament—and we’ve also engaged informally through delegations to Kyiv and informal alliances. But today offers the opportunity to formalize that cooperation and work within a shared framework alongside our governments.
This starts with the E5 and the significant event where our Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and President Macron of France brought together European nations in the UK to form the Coalition of the Willing, which was followed by further coordination in France. Today’s initiative mirrors that same process within our parliaments.
We will begin by bringing together the E5—United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland—but the goal is to expand this network to reflect the full membership of the Coalition of the Willing, currently composed of 31 countries. I know our Prime Minister, President Macron, and the other E5 leaders—as well as all leaders of the 31-member coalition—support that expansion. And we, as parliamentarians, must mirror that expansion through our own networks, starting with the E5 and growing quickly.
This collaboration must focus on a wide range of vital issues. Just today, I was at the Embassy of Ukraine discussing the so-called “shadow fleet,” which now provides a third of the foreign income for the Russian war machine. That’s 850 vessels carrying oil and oil-related products across the world, including through UK territorial waters and international waters adjacent to our own, fueling both the war and the luxurious lifestyles of the war criminals in the Kremlin.
Yet there is a severe lack of coordination in how we sanction these vessels. While the UK just sanctioned another 100 ships from that fleet this week, only half of the entire shadow fleet is sanctioned by any jurisdiction. Only 25 vessels are sanctioned simultaneously by the UK, EU, US, and Canada. That kind of fragmentation undermines our efforts.
These are exactly the types of issues that our parliaments need to take up with our governments. After this meeting, I’m heading to the Treasury to discuss the seizure of Russian state assets and the extension of sanctions. These, again, are areas where parliamentary action—and more importantly, coordinated parliamentary action—is critical.
Success depends on coordination across parliaments. These financial resources do not reside in isolated jurisdictions—they are spread across many. If one jurisdiction hesitates or lacks confidence, nothing moves forward. That’s the core problem when it comes to things like asset seizures.
As parliamentarians from the 31 countries in the coalition—and yes, I include the U.S. in this, albeit with its own path—our role is crucial. If we can cut off the Russian war machine’s funding, Ukraine can regain its territory, and we can see a lasting peace based on Ukraine’s internationally recognized 1991 borders. That must be the common goal of every member of this coalition.
There can be no compromise on Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Whether in defence, economic measures, humanitarian aid, or the reconstruction process, all of it will require immense coordination across this coalition. Our parliaments must not act in isolation or in silos. Doing so would delay Ukraine’s victory and prolong the post-war recovery.
This is why it’s essential—not only for our governments to work together—but for our parliaments to do the same.
Thank you.
