Speaker urges G7 colleagues: ‘We must stand by Ukraine’

Sir Lindsay Hoyle told his counterparts at their annual conference in Japan that Parliaments ‘need to make sure we all remember that Ukrainians are fighting and dying for the ideals which underpin a peaceful, prosperous and stable world’.

He made the comments during a keynote address at the conference in Tokyo and Kyoto, which brought together Speakers and Presiding Officers from the G7 – an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies.

He stressed that Russia had ‘attacked Ukraine's civilians, its infrastructure, and its heritage... kidnapped Ukraine’s children’ and ‘sent thousands of its own people to their deaths.

‘Its actions have hurt the poor and vulnerable across the world; increasing food and energy prices, blocking exports of food on which some of the poorest rely.

‘We all pay for Russia’s aggression, but we would pay even more if we stood by and allowed this flagrant violation of UN principles to succeed.’

Addressing the conference, he said Parliaments ‘must stand with Ukraine’.

‘Russia’s aggression must not succeed, he said. ‘This is the right answer to Russia’s aggression - but we should not pretend the right answer is easy.’

The theme of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and energy security was chosen by the Speaker of Japan Hirouki Hosada.

But his chairing responsibilities were taken over by his deputy, Banri Kaieda, when he was taken ill shortly before the three-day conference began.

During bilateral meetings, Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Ukrainian Rada, presented Sir Lindsay with a signed Ukrainian flag, which he urged him to fly in Parliament on the day Ukraine wins the war.

Sir Lindsay had separate bilaterals with other G7 Speakers and the Speaker of the EU Parliament, to share experiences and understand political issues facing their parliamentarians.

He also had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor and spent a short time in Kyoto, taking part in a tea ceremony and viewing the Golden Temple with the other Speakers.

Image: © G7 Secretariat Japan 2023