UK - Visegrád Group (V4) Joint leaders’ statement: 8 March 2022
Joint leaders' statement by the UK and Visegrád Group (V4).
We, the leaders of the Visegrád Group (V4) Countries and the UK, stand united in condemning Russia’s aggression on Ukraine – a brutal, unprovoked and premeditated attack against a sovereign, peaceful democratic state. The actions of Russia, and those who enable them, represent an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter that undermines European security and stability.
Together we offer our full support to the government and people of Ukraine as they stand up for the sovereignty of their country. We are committed to the principle that, as a free and democratic country, Ukraine has the right to determine its own future. We continue as Allies to coordinate our response to Russia through the most punitive sanctions and measures, including referral to the ICC. We stand together in offering support to the growing numbers of refugees, mostly women, children and the elderly, fleeing the bombardment of civilian areas.
At today’s Summit we also committed to continued UK-V4 collaboration on cyber security, a key priority of the Hungarian V4 Presidency and a vital area of cooperation in the current climate. We agreed to work together via further policy dialogues and a joint commitment to strengthen our collective cyber resilience, coordinate approaches on cyber governance, and respond to and deter malicious cyber activities, including the spread of disinformation.
We also discussed the subject of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels from Russia, as part of improving our collective energy security.
The Visegrád 4 Countries and the United Kingdom are bound by deep historic ties and our shared values of democracy, rule of law, human rights, and the preservation of peace in Europe. We have today resolved to further deepen and strengthen these bonds, as a significant contribution to European peace and security and to work together to protect NATO Allies.