Rutland's MP Alicia Kearns invited to Kyiv, Ukraine by president Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Rutland's MP met with the Ukrainian president to mark one year since the full scale Russian invasion.

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who is the chairperson of the British foreign affairs committee which scrutinises spending on overseas issues, was invited to Kyiv by president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ms Kearns met with the Ukrainian president yesterday (Thursday), along with officials from 15 other European nations, in an effort to show solidarity with the Ukrainian government.

Today (February 24) marks the one year anniversary of the full scale invasion of eastern Ukraine by Russian forces.

Ms Kearns has said that “we cannot see a secondary anniversary of this conflict” and that “we must do more” to support the Ukrainian people.

She said: “Today isn’t a day to celebrate, but to remember all those killed, reflect on the failure to deter Putin, and commit again to Ukraine’s freedom. After a year of brutality, mass murder, rape, torture and targeting of civilians, the Ukrainians ask simply that we continue to stand by them, and that we must.

“Defence is not aggression. Counter-attack is not a provocation. We cannot allow the aggressor to determine the peace.”

Ms Kearns spoke with President Zelenskyy about how to end the Russian aggression and described him during an interview as a “formidable man”.

She added that he looked “tired” because “there are so many Ukrainian lives that can be lost”.

Rutland's MP is now spending time in the war-torn nation speaking to citizens who have recently been liberated from Russian control.

She said on social media: “We must all choose the blue and yellow flag, not the white one, and fight on for our friends in Ukraine.”