British minister: Russia's attempts to ‘lock up’ Ukraine bring us back to dark times

Ukraine has proven that democracy needs to be fought for. And it has become the last front line in Europe's long-running struggle for freedom, security and democracy.
Christopher Pincher, the UK’s Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, made a corresponding statement during a speech at the 16th Yalta European Strategy (YES) Annual Meeting "Happiness Now. New Approaches for a World in Crisis", which takes place in Kyiv on September 12-14, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Russia's attempts to lock up Ukraine in its imaginary sphere of influence bring us back to the very unhappy and dark times which we considered to be a fact in history books. For me, this means that Ukraine has become the last front line in Europe's long-running struggle for freedom, democracy and security. When I was a student, that front line ran in West Germany and on the borders of Austria, and today the front line is Ukraine,” he said.

The example of Ukraine, according to the British minister, demonstrates that democratic values need constant protection. "Ukraine proves that we cannot take democratic freedoms for granted. These values require constant vigilance to be protected from sabotage and subversion," he added.

Pincher assured that the British government would continue to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom and democratic values.