The vice-president of the National Assembly in charge of international relations, MP from Tarn-et-Garonne, Valérie Rabault, has just returned from a trip to Kyiv, where she was accompanying the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet. She talks about her interview with the Ukrainian President and says she was deeply influenced by what she saw.
At the Mayor’s Mass of Tarn-et-Garonne, held this Saturday in Nègrepelisse, PS MEP Valérie Rabault had a good pretext: she was in Ukraine with a delegation of parliamentarians led by the President of the National Assembly, Yael Braun on the way -Pivet. An obviously memorable trip to the war-torn country of Ukraine, partially occupied by Russia.
Valérie Rabault, in what context did you go to Ukraine?
I was there as Vice President of the National Assembly responsible for international affairs. I accompanied the President of the Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet. The delegation also included the chairmen of the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee. The purpose of this trip to Ukraine was to express our support for the Ukrainian people. Of course, it allowed us to meet the actors to assess the needs and problems, but its first goal was to support the Ukrainian people. I wanted to travel to Ukraine ahead of the debate that will take place this Monday, October 3rd in the Assembly. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne is to give a speech in front of the state representation at 4 p.m. We will reply after his intervention.
Led by the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Rouslan Stefantchouk, the French MPs visited the war-ravaged parts of Chernihiv. Photo Press Service Ukrainian Presidency
How was this trip?
Since the Ukrainian airspace was closed, we traveled by train. I spent two days in Poland and two days in Ukraine, first in Kyiv. Then Rouslan Stefantchouk, Speaker of the House of Representatives, accompanied us to Chernihiv for a whole day. This city, located very close to the Russian and Belarusian borders, paid a heavy price when hundreds of civilians were killed last spring. There, 14 people waiting outside a pharmacy died after a rocket attack.
The looks of the people I met in Chernihiv said a lot about the horror of that war, which is still there.
What do you remember?
Going to a country at war is an experience marked by images of overwhelming human encounters. I think of these women who fell victim to terrible things, these refugees, these 27 or 28-year-old women who lost their husbands in the fighting. I was also told horrific stories of children who were forcibly taken to Russia. The looks of the people of Chernihiv said a lot about the horrors of that war that are still there. Warning sirens often sound.
In Kyiv, you and the President of the National Assembly were received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. What impression did it make on you?
A strong impression. He has an incredible charisma. You can feel an incredible inner strength in him. We spent an hour with him but he showed a lot of listening and attention.
The delegation of French MPs, including Valérie Rabault, was received by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday. On the right we see Etienne de Poncins, the French ambassador to the Ukraine. Photo Press Service Ukrainian Presidency
How do you see the outcome of this conflict?
It’s a very difficult question. In the last few weeks there have been some territorial takeovers by the Ukrainian army, but we are still in the difficult times. What is happening in Ukraine raises questions about European strategy, but also about the rule of law, because the borders of a sovereign country cannot be violated by force.