Ukraine has found itself at a historical crossroads, where the main issue is not only keeping its territories, but creation of a sustainable security architecture.

This was the key message of Hryhoriy Nemyria, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, at the 17th Annual Kyiv Security Forum “UA: UNITE AGAIN TO DEFEAT THE GLOBAL AGGRESSOR”, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation “Open Ukraine”.

“This war is not about land, it is about security. Territories may be of importance, but if they are insecure, this is not a victory,” emphasized Hryhoriy Nemyria.

He recalled that early in the invasion, Ukraine was practically isolated: Kyiv was empty, foreign embassies were evacuated, and allies acted cautiously. “Then it became obvious: our main ally is ourselves. And we started doing what we had to do,” he emphasized.

Mr.Nemyria warned that today the situation has changed significantly - new players have come to the arena, including authoritarian states, and Ukraine must adequately respond to the changing geopolitical reality.

“At the beginning, no one thought that North Korea or Iran, as partners of Russia, would deploy their military to fight in our land. But this happened and should teach us flexibility in shaping diplomacy,” he emphasized.

The MP is convinced that the future peace deal cannot be based only on the principle of “land for peace.” It must guarantee stable and sustainable security, otherwise such a deal will be of a temporary and unstable nature.

The Kyiv Security Forum, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” foundation, is the main platform in Ukraine to discuss issues of war and peace, national and global security.