Standing before a packed auditorium at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Stephen Doughty, the UK’s Minister for Europe, delivered an unflinching message: the principles underpinning European security are not merely being challenged; they are under direct and sustained assault by Russia’s ongoing aggression.
Speaking with the urgency of a man who had witnessed the devastation firsthand, Doughty underscored that the conflict in Ukraine is not simply a localised war but a global contest over the fundamental norms that have kept Europe largely at peace since the end of the Second World War. “It’s not just about Ukraine,” Doughty declared. “This is about the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. These are the values that protect all of us.”
Indeed, the Minister’s words came heavy with personal experience. Only weeks prior, he had visited Kyiv, a city where air raid sirens are now a chilling part of daily life. He described the haunting sound of alarms blaring from mobile phones, a stark reminder of the relentless nightly bombardments faced by ordinary civilians.
His journey took him to Bucha, a name now seared into modern European history as a byword for atrocity. There, he walked among mass graves and heard harrowing accounts of civilians—men, women, and children—torn from their lives by indiscriminate drone strikes and brutal abductions. Many of those seized remain unaccounted for.
“What I saw in Bucha is a brutal attack on the values that all of us in this room stand for,” Doughty said, visibly moved. “If we allow these fundamental principles to be trampled upon, it is not just Ukraine that suffers—it is the entire civilised world.”
The stakes, as he made clear, could not be higher.
While the military conflict remains focused on Ukraine, Doughty stressed that Russia’s destabilising activities stretch far beyond its borders. From the Western Balkans to Moldova, the Kremlin is waging a hybrid war aimed at undermining democracies across the continent. Cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, political interference—these are the new fronts in an old battle over the future of Europe.
Faced with such a broad threat, Doughty called for renewed unity and resolve among NATO partners. He praised the “genuine pleasure” of working closely with Turkey and other allies at the Forum, and he highlighted the leadership shown by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, and even former U.S. President Donald Trump in forging what he called a “secure and sustainable peace” for Ukraine.
Yet he was clear that peace cannot be achieved through wishful thinking or words alone. It will require action: tangible commitments to defence spending, deeper security cooperation, and a willingness to put boots on the ground to deter future Russian aggression.
Doughty’s remarks come at a critical juncture. While Ukraine continues to fight bravely, the war has settled into a grinding stalemate, and support among some Western publics shows signs of fatigue. The Minister was adamant that now is the moment to double down, not to hesitate.
“The UK’s support for Ukraine is 100% ironclad,” he insisted. “Not just for today, not just for tomorrow, but for 100 years into the future.”
It was a bold statement, one aimed as much at reassuring Britain’s allies as at sending a message to Moscow: that time and perseverance, not brute force, will ultimately decide the outcome of this conflict.
There was also a pointed reminder that European nations must do more to defend their own continent. While the United States has shouldered much of the burden so far, Doughty urged European partners to step up, not only out of solidarity with Ukraine but out of self-interest. The security of Europe, he warned, is indivisible.
As President Erdoğan of Turkey noted in his own remarks, any peace must be sustainable, not a mere pause before renewed hostilities. That sustainability, Doughty said, depends on building the resilience and capabilities of nations like Ukraine—and ensuring NATO itself is ready to face down any future threat.
In Antalya, the message was unmistakable: this is no time for complacency. The defence of Ukraine is not only a moral imperative but a strategic necessity for the free world. And Britain, if Doughty’s words are to be believed, is prepared to lead that fight for as long as it takes.
