Two Sheffield councillors met injured soldiers, political leaders, and civilians during a recent visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

Councillor Mark Rusling said: “Our trip won’t do anything to stop the war, but if we can just provide a little bit of comfort to the Ukrainian community in the UK then we have done a good thing.”

Cllrs Mark Rusling and Matt Dwyer spent four days in Lviv, aiming to reassure the Ukrainian community they represent in Sheffield.

He said the trip is particularly important since Sheffield is twinned with the Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Khmelnytskyi.

The visit, which was fully funded by the councillors, was one of multiple trips organised each year by Ukrainian people living in Britain.

Last Saturday, the councillors met with the Deputy Mayor of Lviv after speaking with injured frontline soldiers and citizens to gain a first-hand understanding of the war’s impact on the Ukrainian people. 

Before the trip, Councillor Rusling said: “I’m most looking forward to speaking to ordinary people in Lviv.

“We want to show the UK’s Ukraine community we have your back.” 

A meeting between US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month raised concerns about dwindling international support for Ukraine. 

Cllr Rusling said: “If I were the Ukrainian refugee community living in the UK right now I’d be feeling very very nervous. 

“But supporting Ukrainians in their fight is in the British self-interest because the lessons of the 1930s tell us people like Putin don’t stop.”

He emphasised that the trip is not the end of the councillors’ efforts to raise awareness about the war in Ukraine across Sheffield and the wider UK.

After the visit, the councillors will meet with the Chair of the Ukrainian Community in South Yorkshire to ask what more can be done to support Ukrainians living in Sheffield.