At the International Conference “Defending Democracy: Battlefield of Truth”, held at the Hotel Continental in Skopje, North Macedonia, distinguished political leaders, diplomats, journalists, and civil society representatives from across Europe gathered to discuss the challenges of defending democratic values in the face of disinformation, hybrid warfare, and authoritarian threats.The opening session featured Roger Casale, former Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, Founder and Coordinator, Westminster Alliance for Ukraine.
In his address, Casale reflected on the progress made by the Alliance since its inception, outlined key lessons learned from its international conferences in London, Rome, and Skopje, and emphasized the importance of solidarity, resilience, and cooperation among European democracies in supporting Ukraine and defending shared values of freedom and democracy.
Opening Remarks by Roger Casale
Well, thank you very much indeed. Let me start by adding my thanks to our very distinguished guests who are joining us online, to all of you here in the room in Skopje, North Macedonia — thank you for coming to join us here at the Hotel Continental this evening — and to all our audience watching around Europe and internationally at home.
It is remarkable, the progress that we’ve been able to make, as you’ve said, with the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine since our conference in Skopje last December. Since then, we have held conferences in London, on the 13th of May at the House of Commons, supported by Alex Sobel, Labour MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine, and by Lord James Arbuthnot, a Conservative peer, former Defence Minister and Chairman of the Defence Select Committee.
And, of course, last week we were in Rome together with you, Jabir, with the help of Emanuele Errichiello from the Centro Studi Internazionale, our Italian partners, for a conference in Rome where we had contributions from think tanks and many others — but crucially from Senator Filippo Sensi, from the centre-left, and Emanuele Loperfido, MP from the Chamber of Deputies and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Italian Parliament.
Just to remind our audience, both here in Skopje and those watching at home, the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine is primarily a network of networks — a network primarily of parliamentarians from the E5 countries: Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland. These are countries within the Coalition of the Willing, the coalition of 31 nations established by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron in January to support Ukraine now and in the future — particularly in strengthening economic, security, and military capacities. But as we’ll hear later this evening, there are other important dimensions to that support, including the cultural dimension.
We are also a network of journalists. At the Economic Forum in Karpacz, Poland, we organized a session on media freedom in Eastern and Central Europe, and in the coming months we will host further events in France with our partners at the Jean Monnet Association, and in Germany.
Lessons Learned
You asked me, Jabir, to comment on the lessons learned from our journey so far. Many of us here — you, Jabir, Dr. Wolfgang Ressmann, and others — have been with Ukraine since the days of Maidan. Some, like Oliver Vidin, who we will hear from later, were actually there in 2014. We have been engaged for a long time, and yet I find myself constantly learning new insights through the work of the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine.
So, let me briefly share ten lessons that I think we have learned from our conferences and initiatives so far.
Lesson 1:
We all in this room understand the danger posed by Russia — the danger to Ukraine and to Europe. But our wider societies and publics are not fully aware of how grave, serious, and imminent that danger is. Even many parliamentarians underestimate it. So, our first task is to wake people up to the reality of this threat — and to understand that every gesture of solidarity with Ukraine matters. Nothing is too small. The people of Ukraine deeply value every expression of support.
Lesson 2:
The war in Ukraine does not stop at Ukraine’s borders. This is hybrid warfare — cyberattacks, disinformation, manipulation through social media — that reaches deep into our own societies. The hybrid war is already here, and we must recognize that reality.
Lesson 3:
We must inject a sense of urgency. While I am not saying that we will be at war with Russia tomorrow, we must take the threat seriously and prepare — because we are not ready. And we do not know how much time we have.
Lesson 4:
We cannot leave this only to governments. It is encouraging that Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and 31 countries have come together in the Coalition of the Willing, but there is a huge gap between ambition and reality. We, as networks of parliamentarians, journalists, and citizens, must help translate ambition into action — for example, by pushing for higher defence spending and deeper cooperation.
As German Minister for European Affairs Günther Krichbaum reminded us last week in Rome, Germany has been in recession for three years. Convincing European publics to support increased defence spending when people also want investment in education and health will require cooperation and solidarity across borders.
Lesson 5:
None of us can do this alone. Europe must cooperate more effectively. That is the only way to build lasting resilience.
Lesson 6:
Supporting Ukraine also means learning from Ukraine. How has a country that was where Ukraine was three years ago managed to withstand three years of brutal invasion? What can we learn from the resilience and courage of the Ukrainian people? These are lessons Europe itself will need in the future, because this threat is not only to Ukraine — it is already here.
Lesson 7:
We must also recognize and address the emotional and psychological trauma experienced by the Ukrainian people. The Coalition of the Willing must not only help Ukraine stand up to Russia but also help in reconstructing Ukraine and rebuilding its people. As the First Lady of Ukraine said so powerfully at the Ukraine Recovery Conference — if we want to rebuild Ukraine, we must rebuild the Ukrainian people.
Lesson 8:
We can already see the contours of the new Ukraine emerging. Just as the post-war settlement was prepared during World War II, so the future of Ukraine is being built now — even as Ukrainians fight and sacrifice. We must be part of that process and part of that conversation.
Lesson 9:
We must believe in ourselves — in our collective strength to stand up to Russia. Putin is not only trying to seize territory; he is trying to erase the love of freedom and democracy from the hearts of Ukrainians. And if given the chance, he would erase it from our hearts as well. This is a fight for our identity, our values, and the very idea of Europe.
Lesson 10:
Finally, we have learned that the future of Ukraine is the future of Europe. If we lose Ukraine, we lose Europe. The hybrid war is already affecting our continent — as we have seen in Moldova, where Russia attempted to interfere in the recent elections. But Moldova also shows that if we stand together, believe in ourselves, and defend our democracies, we can prevail. That was not the result Putin wanted, and it is a reminder that solidarity and unity work.
In conclusion, the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine is proving that networks of parliamentarians, journalists, and citizens across Europe can make a difference. By standing together, learning from each other, and keeping our eyes open to the challenges ahead, we can defend democracy — and ensure that the battlefield of truth remains one that freedom wins.