3rd Anniversary of war in Ukraine

Monday, 24 February 2025 17:04

Local events to mark the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine have begun.

A mass took place at St. Olga's Ukrainian Church in Peterborough at 10 o'clock on Sunday with a procession to the town square at half past eleven and a moment of remembrance with speeches at midday. On Monday, an open air service will be held at Brown's Hospital in Stamford at 5 pm with readings, music and prayers and reflections from Stamford's Poet Laureates.

Rutland and Stamford's MP is asking Donald Trump to better understand Volodimir Zelensky's position and what options are open to him. Alicia Kearns says Donald Trump needs to re-evaluate his thinking.

"I am deeply concerned by the rhetoric coming out of the White House. We cannot allow history to be rewritten. There is one aggressor here. There is one state behaving like a terrorist state. That same state that has murdered people on British soil. It is for Ukraine and Ukrainians to decide what peace looks like. Because we're not just looking for essentially the firing of guns to go silent. We are looking for a peace deal that ensures that Europe is safe that all those countries neighbouring Russia do not feel at threat of Putin's imperialism. And it's horrifying to hear him saying that Zelensky is a dictator and should hold elections. We did not hold elections in the UK during World War II. Zelensky cannot hold them under the constitution of Ukraine. But also the idea that he is a dictator. Putin is the dictator. Putin does not hold fair and free elections. So why is there no call from Trump or the White House for Putin to call elections? I think we have to be very cautious before we take the view on democracy of someone who supported insurrection."