Ukrainians are fighting for Europe, not just themselves, says ex-MP volunteer
"The Ukrainians are fighting our battle here as well. It isn't just about Ukraine, it's about Europe," Jack Lopresti told BFBS Forces News from an office in Kyiv.
"What still inspires me and almost astonishes me is the morale of the Ukrainian people.
"They still desperately are fighting for their own existence as a nation and to try and reclaim their lands – and they're still very much in the fight."
Mr Lopresti has now been serving in Ukraine for just over a month.
Last year, after losing his seat in the General Election, he decided to head to the country on a permanent basis – having visited Ukraine a number of times in his role as a politician.
He was the chairman of the Conservative Friends of Ukraine group, which exists to strengthen relations between the UK and Ukraine, according to the group's website.
"Initially, I thought, well, maybe some charity work, some NGOs, whatever I can do," he said on volunteering to head to Ukraine.
"But actually… if I'm honest, I always thought I'd probably end up in the military."
However, he insisted he would "do whatever asked to do to the best of my abilities".
When asked if more Britons should volunteer and join him in Ukraine, he said they should only do so as long as they realise it's a country at war.
"Just be aware that you are going to be in a dangerous environment at some risk to yourself," he said.
"But if you feel you could make a contribution and you've got a realistic view of what you're getting into, then yeah."
He said the Westerners joining the Legion of Ukraine Defence Intelligence "were recruits essentially doing a week's selection… medical checks or psychological checks".
"See if you're up to or you have the right mindset for soldiering, and there were a variety of people," he said.
This included an American who was going to the frontline to be a combat medic and a Briton who was looking forward to working in logistics.
Having applied online to join the Legion of Ukraine Defence Intelligence and following a number of meetings about how best to use his experience, Mr Lopresti then headed to Ukraine.
He entered the country as he had done every month since the election, taking a train from Poland to Kyiv.
He admitted he "wasn't sure at that stage what job I would end up doing".
"I was pretty open and just got my hands up and said 'whatever I can do to help'," he said.
He explained his job is a three-way split between diplomacy, procurement and working with veterans and charities – a role that has seen him travel across the country.
"I suppose a link would be a good way of describing it really, you know, feeding back on both sides," he said.
"I think using my experience and my knowledge and the passion, I have to try to help the Ukrainians win this war."
But Mr Lopresti said volunteers had to be prepared to do whatever is needed, and first and foremost, he is a "soldier first".
"I spent a day last week on the ranges brushing up with the skills," he said.
"I mean, I hadn't fired a weapon probably since 2008/2009, so that was useful in as much as I didn't need to go back to absolute basics, I had an understanding of weapon handling, safety and how to fire a weapon."
Mr Lopresti had previously served as a reservist with the British Army, completing an operational tour of Afghanistan.
When asked how he felt about Western support to Ukraine, Mr Lopresti said there was a "general frustration that we seem to be still having the same conversations about what we need".
"The UK has got a very proud record, nearly £8bn since the three-year full-scale invasion," he said.
"We've trained over 50,000 Ukrainian troops so far, but we just need the rest of Europe to start carrying the load a bit more.
"And obviously we need American support too.
"It was a shame that at the very beginning more of our allies didn't do more," he said.
"The last American administration, one got the impression, and this is from my time as a member of parliament, that they were doing enough to keep Ukraine in the fight, but not enough to give it an advantage to win."
Mr Lopresti said there was a sense of cautious optimism about the new Trump administration.
"President Trump is somebody that Putin takes very seriously and will listen to," he said.
"But I think in the end Putin has to be defeated, because even if you manage to cobble together some sort of ceasefire and peace deal, there cannot be a situation where he's able to sit there and then come back in the future.
"To me, Nato membership is a must. Reclaiming the lands taken since February three years ago is a must.
"In the future… there needs to be a development of a real defence industrial capability, which they have here, but that needs to be strengthened as a deterrent to the future.
"It's about what sort of world we live in, it's about avoiding a bigger, even more terrible conflict in the future.
"If Putin succeeds, then dictators across the world will be encouraged and they'll be on the march."
:: The British Government has long warned Britons not to travel to join the fight in Ukraine, and the Foreign Office says anyone who does could face prosecution on their return.
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