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
Yeah… 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.
