On February 20, 2014, the Russian Federation launched the military
aggression against the sovereign state of Ukraine. Three years have
passed since the treacherous attack by the neighbouring state, despite its
commitment to respect Ukraine’s
sovereignty and independence, as well as its status of one of the guarantors of
security and territorial integrity of Ukraine according to the 1994
Budapest Memorandum. Although the Revolution of Dignity clearly
reconfirmed the aspirations of the Ukrainian people to build European,
democratic and prosperous Ukraine, the Kremlin responded by attempting to
deprive Ukrainians of the right to define their future by their own. Russia
launched a well-planned military operation, which resulted in the temporary
occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as
well as in bloodshed in Donbas.
Thereby Russia has challenged the
value-based world order in a try to revive the geopolitical thinking of the
past with domination of the rule of force and spheres of influence.
The appalling number of victims
highlights the immorality of Kremlin’s war against the Ukrainian people: over 9
800 Ukrainian people were killed, about 23 000 wounded and almost 1.8 million
of internally displaced persons. 7.2 % of Ukrainian territory has been seized
by Russia and millions of the citizens of Ukraine live there under occupation
and endless terror. Russia persists in sending new fighters,
weaponry and ammunition to Ukraine
through the section of the Ukrainian-Russian state border of 409.7 km long, which
remains out of control of the Ukrainian government. Occupied Crimea, closed for
any form of international control and monitoring, is now an area for systemic
violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, targeting, first of all,
the Ukrainian activists and the indigenous people of Crimea
- Crimean Tatars. The citizens of Ukraine are being groundlessly
detained and imprisoned, activists are being disappeared, their families and
friends are facing intimidation. The Mejlis, a representative body of the
Crimean Tatar people, was banned.
Russia continues to fuel the
conflict in Donbas, sends regular troops and mercenaries to the territory,
which is out of control by the Ukrainian Government, and keeps reinforcing its
militants and terrorists with the sophisticated weaponry and military
hardware. Russia remains unwilling to implement the Minsk Agreements thus undermining
all efforts taken by Ukraine
and the international community towards de-escalation and stabilization in the
region. Moscow’s propaganda has no limits to lie, falsification and
doublespeak. Human life has no value for the aggressor. Besides their actions
in Ukraine, the Russian structures were regularly spotted interfering in the
internal affairs of other sovereign states. The aggressive policy of the
Russian Federation pose a threat for the entire world order.
We are grateful to all partners
for their strong support and solidarity. By adopting the UN General Assembly
Resolutions “Territorial integrity of Ukraine” and “'Situation of human rights
in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)” the
world has clearly said “no” to violation of territorial integrity and
sovereignty of an independent state, condemned the occupant and reconfirmed its
human rights commitments. Personal and economic sanctions have been a powerful
demonstration of the unity of purpose of the world leading countries in
response to the outrage and defiance of international law by the aggressor
state.
Read the full statement at
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