JOINT STATEMENT
OF THE CHAIRS OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES
IN SUPPORT OF THE SOVEREIGNTY AND
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF UKRAINE
12 August 2025
As chairs of the foreign affairs committees, we urge the leaders of the free world to pursue a
ceasefire agreement that serves the best interests of freedom-loving people throughout the
democratic world. The celebration of Independence Day in the United States reminds us each
year that freedom, dignity and the right of a nation to determine its own future are values
worth fighting for
—
not only for Americans, but for all people facing oppression and, most
urgently, for Ukrainians living under occupation and attack.
Any agreement reached at the talks in Alaska on 15 August 2025 or thereafter must firmly
uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitution and the principles of the UN
Charter. It is of the utmost importance that Russia is not rewarded for its brutal and illegal
war of aggression against Ukraine with territorial gains. The future of Ukraine can only be
determined by the Ukrainian people themselves, upholding the fundamental principle that
'nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine'.
European nations must also participate in the talks with the aim of minimising the risks to
European security posed by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. We must never forget that
Russia is likely to exploit negotiations as a pretext to avoid an unconditional ceasefire and
push for sanctions relief.
We owe it to the cause of liberty and justice
—
taught by the lessons of Independence Day
and the mistakes of history. We must demonstrate unity, resolve and fidelity to universal
rights to ensure that the outcome of any negotiations truly serves the cause of freedom, both
now and for future generations.
Oleksandr Merezhko
Chair, Committee on
Foreign Policy
Ukraine
Pavel Fischer
Chair, Senate
Committee on Foreign
Affairs, Defense and
Security
Czech Republic
Marko Mihkelson
Chair, Foreign Affairs
Committee
Estonia
Ina Coșeru
Chair, Foreign Policy
and European
Integration Committee
Moldova
Ināra Mūrniece
Chair, Foreign Affairs
Committee
Latvia
Paweł Kowal
Chair, Foreign Affairs
Committee
Sejm
Poland
Emily Thornberry
Chair, Foreign Affairs
Committee
House of Commons
United Kingdom
Remigijus Motuzas
Chair, Foreign Affairs
Committee
Lithuania