A delegation of Cypriot parliamentarians met wih former Ukrainian prisoners of war in Nicosia on Tuesday, to reaffirm the republic’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.

House foreign affairs committee chair Haris Georgiades and fellow Disy MP, Averof Neophytou received former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolaienko and journalist Dmytro Khilyuk.

The head of Ukraine’s regional staff for prisoners of war, Yulia Pavliuk, was also in attendance.

According to a parliamentary statement, the delegation is in Cyprus for events organised by the Ukrainian embassy marking four years since the start of Russia’s invasion.

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Cypriot MPs expressed firm backing for Ukraine’s independence, territorial integrity and national sovereignty, “in its heroic struggle against Russian aggression”.

Georgiades said Cyprus has an added moral duty to stand with Ukraine, beyond its commitment to international law, as it remains a country affected by the “illegal occupation of its territory”.

He also referred to the humanitarian issue of Cyprus’s missing persons, drawing parallels with the suffering caused by the war.

Members of the Ukrainian delegation briefed MPs on the current situation regarding prisoners of war, highlighting the difficulty of obtaining reliable information surrounding detainees’ fate.

They recounted their own experiences of captivity and said they would continue efforts to raise international awareness until the last prisoner returns.

Particular concern was expressed regarding the increasingly draconian living conditions facing civilians in Russian occupied cities.

Georgiades wished for a swift and successful resolution of the humanitarian issue and the peace process, stressing that “Europe must act united and with determination” in defence of Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

In a separate statement marking four years since the invasion, House speaker and Disy president, Annita Demetriou, said the EU must remain united in solidarity with Ukraine while applying the same principles to Cyprus.

“European values cannot be applied selectively,” she cautioned, condemning any violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state as a breach of international law.

She added that Europe should show “the same solidarity and commitment to international law towards Cyprus”, support efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem on the basis of UN resolutions and reject “Turkey’s position on a two-state solution”.

“The principles of legality, peace and security are not negotiable,” she concluded, adding that Europe’s credibility “depends on consistent adherence to its own values”.