Western leaders warn Russia against annexing Ukrainian territory

Posted On: August 24, 2022

Several Western leaders on Tuesday warned Russia against any annexation of Ukrainian territory and reaffirmed their support for kyiv, which has been facing an invasion by Moscow forces for six months.

Messages from the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada, among others, were released via video as part of the second “Crimean Platform” summit, a political and diplomatic dialogue forum launched by Kyiv for the purpose of consultation and coordination. of the international response to the Russian occupation of the region in March 2014.

This platform was originally presented on September 23, 2020 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Almost two years later, this platform is gaining relevance, as the entire country is currently the target of a new Russian military offensive, which began on February 24 this year.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the international community to show “no weakness, no spirit of compromise” towards Russia as the war in Ukraine reaches six months on Wednesday.

“We cannot falter, nor have a spirit of compromise [em relação a Moscovo]because it is about our freedom, that of all, and peace in all parts of the globe,” Macron said.

“We condemn Russia. We will never recognize any attempt to change the status of any part of Ukraine,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

Denouncing “the unprovoked aggression unleashed by Russia against Ukraine”, the head of the German government promised to continue the sanctions against Moscow and to send new military aid to kyiv, in particular air defense systems.

Another speaker at the summit, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “wanting to do to all of Ukraine what he did to Crimea”, the peninsula annexed in 2014 by Moscow after an intervention military and a referendum denounced by kyiv and the west.

“We cannot allow borders to be changed by force of arms. We will never recognize Russia’s annexation of the territory of Ukraine,” Boris Johnson said in his video message.

Like his British counterpart, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to continue to help kyiv and to maintain the policy of sanctions against Moscow until “Russia ends the war and withdraws its troops”.

Acting Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said “the struggle for Crimea is part of the struggle for the liberation of Ukraine”, in his message to the summit.

“The Russian occupation of Crimea was an unacceptable act of aggression, a flagrant violation of international law. Italy has always condemned Russia’s annexation and progressive militarization of the peninsula,” said Draghi, who s is said to be concerned “by the worsening of the human rights situation on the peninsula”.

Polish President Andrzej Duda traveled to kyiv as part of the “Crimean Platform” summit, for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to whom he reaffirmed Poland’s determination to help the neighboring country and punish Moscow.

Many countries, especially in Africa and Asia, have maintained a policy of neutrality since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, and refrained from condemning it.

In Europe, some countries, such as Hungary, also maintain important links, particularly in energy, with Russia.

The first summit of the “Crimean platform”, attended by representatives of about 50 states, was held in Kyiv in August 2021.