In this period, which coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the second year of large-scale aggression, the Putin regime’s efforts to spread its propaganda in our country are increasing. At the same time, calls to our institutions to reduce if not cancel the shipment of weapons and to exert pressure at an international level are multiplying, in order to force Ukraine to give in and start negotiations with the aggressor state to reach a " rapid resolution of the conflict”;
We, as Italian and European citizens, in solidarity with the Ukrainian diaspora, underline with determination the importance of having to support the ten-point Peace Formula written by Ukraine, based on the principles and norms of the United Nations Charter, aimed at achieving of a lasting peace in which international law and security are restored as well as the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
We therefore ask parliamentarians and members of the government of our country to act promptly in synergy with the Ukrainian government in order to cooperate more effectively, both at national and European level, as well as with other allied countries in order to make all possible efforts and necessary for the pursuit of the objectives contained in the Peace Formula.
We believe that the current hesitation among Western allies over how and when to support Ukraine is a mortal danger not only for this People but also for the entire democratic world.
Over the past decade, Russia has not only waged war against Ukraine, violating its borders in an attempt to eliminate and humiliate it, but has also declared war on the European Union. This is demonstrated by the systematic attempts to influence the democratic processes of member countries from outside and by the use of hybrid warfare techniques to pursue its expansionist objectives. Putin’s regime has also declared war on the existence of common and shared rules of coexistence between states, as demonstrated by the repeated unilateral violations of international agreements and laws. Finally, Russia has declared war on Human Rights, as demonstrated by the deliberate actions of the Russian army in the occupied territories, as reported in document A/77/533 of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry into Ukraine.
In the last two years, Putin’s government has repeatedly stated that it considers the concept of the Ukrainian people to be a mere Western invention and has reiterated several times that it judges it to be a historical mistake that it wants to remedy: the evidence suggests that Russia is perpetrating a genocide that it could be the largest in Europe since the end of the Second World War. Despite the violence unleashed by these statements and judgements, the Ukrainian people have forcefully demonstrated their existence and that they are convincingly united and capable of putting aside internal divisions to face the invader.
In these two years the Ukrainian government has demonstrated that Western armaments are both adequate and necessary to defend the civilian population from Russian bombing and to withstand the enemy army’s continuous attempts to advance. The Ukrainian army has demonstrated that, if supported with reliable supplies, it is capable of repelling the Russian invader and forcing it to retreat.
Forcing Ukraine to the negotiating table at this stage would only mean postponing the new wave of military aggression by Russia, perhaps even bloodier, also in light of the vain diplomatic commitments undertaken by Ukraine over the last 10 years:
- Crimea was handed over to the Russians without military protection, but with the hope, however vain, that legal and diplomatic means could bring this territory back under the Ukrainian flag. Despite the International Court’s ruling on the illegality of the annexation of Crimea, Russia demonstrates contempt for international law and continues to occupy the peninsula.
- After the invasion on the territory of Donbass, Ukraine sat down at the negotiating table with the Kremlin and signed the Minsk 1 agreement: despite this, the Russians systematically violated it. Even the so-called Minsk 2 did not lead to a “ceasefire” and a planned constitutional referendum, but it gave Russia the chance to strengthen itself and begin full-scale aggression in 2022.
- Since 2014, Ukraine has been asking the UN for a Peace Keeping initiative in Ukraine, but Russia’s use of the veto makes the request futile and demonstrates, once again, the strong lack of Russian will to reach a solution peaceful.
- In 2023, Ukraine presented its peace plan and is working on practical development while calling on other countries to support it.
- To date, Ukraine has conducted over 200 rounds of negotiations with Russia, which has never shown any interest in respecting the agreements and ending the invasion that began in 2014, as well as recognizing Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent state.
Ukraine’s struggle is not only for its sovereignty, but also symbolizes popular resistance against imperialist aggression and oppression for the entire globe. A victory for Ukraine will send a clear message to potential aggressors: violations of international law and global order will not be tolerated. This applies not only to Ukraine, but also to a stable and sustainable future for all people seeking peace, freedom and justice. Any success of the aggressor would send the message to other potential invaders that military aggression works and, because it goes unpunished, can easily be used for their ends.
In the event that Ukraine accepted the Kremlin’s conditions, a global arms race would be, despite us, inevitable: peaceful countries would receive a message that, to ensure the security of their territory, they cannot rely on support of allies and on international law, but must ensure they are militarily strong, including possessing nuclear weapons. Here it is worth remembering that Ukraine is one of the few countries in the world to have renounced nuclear warheads, having eliminated the arsenals inherited from the Soviet Union (third in the world after the fall of the USSR). Russia, on the other hand, has easily forgotten the commitment made with the signing of the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, namely that of respecting the independence, sovereignty and borders of Ukraine.
Our call is for a victory that puts an end to the current conflict, with the certainty that this can reaffirm the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and international responsibility. For the sake of Ukraine, Italy and the world order, we support #victoryforpeace: we will unite to support this vision of Just Peace. Our presence in the square will be a symbol of our solidarity with the Ukrainian people and a signal of our determination to defend the principles of sovereignty, security and world order based on shared and common rules.