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Former British MP joins Ukraine's defence forces

Sunday, 2 February 2025, 20:14
Former British MP joins Ukraine's defence forces
Photo: Jack Lopresti on X (Twitter)

Jack Lopresti, a former British Member of Parliament who lost his seat in last year's general election, has joined Ukraine's International Legion to support the fight against Russia.

Source: Lopresti in an interview with The Independent, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Lopresti, a former deputy chair of the Conservative Party and MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke in Gloucestershire, is now based in Kyiv, contributing his expertise to Ukraine’s ongoing war effort.

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As an MP, Lopresti visited Ukraine and was a vocal supporter of increasing aid to help the country defeat Russia. He previously served as a corporal in the British Army Reserve.

After losing his parliamentary seat in July, Lopresti visited Ukraine to help a charity in November. 

However, he told The Independent that his aim from the outset had been to join the International Legion.

Quote: "I did apply to join the legion in November. It took a while to find the best unit to utilise my experience and skills." 

More details: The 55-year-old does not serve in frontline infantry, but in support roles such as foreign relations and diplomacy, weapons procurement, and work with veterans and charities in Ukraine.

"I'm based in Kyiv, but I constantly travel across Ukraine," he said, adding that he has just visited Kharkiv and Poltava.

Quote: "The Ukrainian people are not only fighting for their freedom and their right to exist as an independent and sovereign nation, they are also fighting for all of us, in Europe and the rest of the free world. If Putin wins in Ukraine we all know he won't stop there. Dictators have to be defeated, or they never stop." 

Background: At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Juris Jurass, chair of the Latvian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee and a member of the New Conservative Party, volunteered to defend Ukraine. In August 2024, Russia added him to its wanted list.

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