Key Takeaways:
- TIME IS CRITICAL: Védrine emphasized that delays and symbolic gestures are no longer enough – the West must act fast and decisively.
- SURVIVAL IS NOT VICTORY: Europe must shift from helping Ukraine “survive” to ensuring it has the means to win the war – militarily, politically, and economically.
- HISTORY IS WARNING US: Drawing parallels to the lead-up to World War II, Védrine warned that failure to stop Russian aggression in Ukraine could trigger broader conflict across Europe.
Transcript – Olivier Védrine
Political Scientist, Journalist, and Director of the Jean Monnet Association
Remarks at the Westminster Alliance for Ukraine Event
You know, we are here now, and I remember when we were in Poland at the beginning of March. At that time, I said: this is just the beginning. And now, only a few weeks later, we are here — in Westminster.
I said then: “We must organize Westminster talks.” Why Westminster? Because in 1940, Westminster — and London — were the last bastions of freedom. So the symbolism is powerful. Westminster carries weight. It matters. And I said, we must act fast. We don’t have time to lose. Everything is moving quickly now — and we must move even faster.
From the very beginning, our aim with Roger was to build a parliamentary network — not just between France and the UK, or France and Germany, or Italy — but between all of us: France, Germany, the UK, Ukraine, and hopefully also the European Parliament and the US Congress.
As Director of the Jean Monnet Association, I can say we’re already planning a strong conference in the European Parliament in June, together with the Federalist Movement and the European Movement. And there, too, we will speak clearly: How can we help Ukraine win this war?
This morning, I was at Chatham House. In our open discussion, I said: the key question we must ask ourselves is this —
Do we want Ukraine only to survive, or do we want Ukraine to win?
Over the last three years, since the full-scale invasion, we’ve given weapons — but often too few, and too late. We talked about the shadow fleet — we knew about it, but we did nothing. We talked about Russian assets — we’re finally doing something now, but it’s taken too long.
The real question is: Do we want a Ukrainian victory or not? Until now, we’ve helped Ukraine survive — to resist, to endure. But survival is not enough.
We need a concrete strategy — not just for Ukraine to survive, but for Ukraine to win. And it’s not only about Ukraine. If tomorrow we create a new “S5” or any limited format that excludes Ukraine, we may find that Russia strikes again — not in Ukraine, but in the Baltics, or Poland.
That’s why our goal — with all European and UK parliamentarians, and hopefully the US too — must be to build a real, influential policy. Not just to weaken Russia. Not just to support Ukraine. But to help Ukraine win.
This must be our mission. There is no other question. Ukraine must win — for our freedom.
We are at the beginning of a scenario that resembles the lead-up to World War II. 1938. The invasion of Czechoslovakia. Then Poland. Then the rest of Europe.
We must not repeat those mistakes.
So please — stop thinking about helping Ukraine survive.
Start thinking about helping Ukraine win.
Thank you.
As stated on the Jean Monnet Association’s website
At the Mikolajki Economic Forum in Poland (3–4 March 2025), Olivier Védrine proposed to Roger Casale the organization of a conference at the UK Parliament in Westminster in support of Ukraine, followed by a series of “Westminster Talks” across Europe to build a network of European parliamentarians and experts. (LINK)