UA
FR
DEA year has passed since the beginning of the Russian Federation’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine which turned into the largest conventional war in Europe after World War II. On this occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine appealed to the allies to redouble their support to speed up the victory.
“The only reason for the unprovoked aggression of the Russian Federation was the neo-imperial ambitions and expansionism of the Russian leadership as part of efforts to revive the ‘Russian empire’ by seizing the lands of neighbouring countries,” reads the statement.
It is noted that the full-scale invasion in February 2022 was a continuation of the crime of aggression that the Russian Federation has been carrying out against Ukraine since February 2014 when it temporarily occupied Crimea and certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
With its criminal actions, Russia grossly violated the UN Charter, fundamental norms and principles of international law, and a lot of bilateral and multilateral agreements.
“For a year now, Ukraine has been defending itself and the entire democratic world from Russian neo-colonialism, daily sacrificing the lives of its best sons and daughters for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. The Kremlin expected it would take several days to capture Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people would meet the Russian invaders with bread and salt… Instead, thanks to the Ukrainian people’s devotion to the principles of freedom, justice, and self-respect, Ukraine withstood and not only stopped the Russian invasion but also has been restraining it for many months, carrying out successful counter-offensives, as a result of which about half of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian troops in 2022 were liberated,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes.
Diplomats emphasise that Ukraine needs the help of the whole world at this critical stage of the war.
“We call on our international partners to redouble the comprehensive and critically needed support for Ukraine to speed up the Ukrainian victory. It is crucial to further consolidate efforts around the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the implementation of which will ensure just and lasting peace in Ukraine and prevent the recurrence of such aggression in the future,” the statement reads.
It is noted that the permanent prerequisites for peace must be the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine, the restoration of its internationally recognised borders, the payment of reparations for all the damage caused, and holding all those who gave criminal orders and those who carried them out to account.
At the same time, Ukraine will continue to move towards victory over Russian aggression and full-fledged EU and NATO membership.
Bohdan Marusyak
