The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday celebrated the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ by inaugurating projects reflecting Buddhist linkages with the ASEAN and East Asian countries.
Bharat ki Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to commemorate 75 glorious years of progressive India and its rich history, diverse population, magnificent culture and great achievements.
This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who have not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The official journey of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced on 12th March 2021 which started a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of independence and will end post a year on 15th August 2023.
As part of the celebration, books of Buddhist ‘Jataka’ tales translated into Thai, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese languages were unveiled, the MEA said.
The Jataka tales are a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. The future Buddha may appear as a king, an outcast, a god, an elephant—but, in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates. Often, Jātaka tales include an extensive cast of characters who interact and get into various kinds of trouble – whereupon the Buddha character intervenes to resolve all the problems and bring about a happy ending.
A comprehensive video of e-ITEC courses offered by the MEA on Buddhist teachings was shown during the event.
The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) is a prestigious programme conducted by the MEA.
Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh inaugurated an interactive coffee table e-book on Buddhist linkages with the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asian countries.
The digital exhibition titled “Bodhicitta: Interweaving Buddhist Art Traditions from India Across Asia” curated by National Museum was displayed, the MEA said in a statement.
“The ministry presented an Interactive Template for use by Missions for orientation visits by school/college students to cultural centres/missions for better understanding of India’s Buddhist linkages,” it said.
A series of commemorative events and activities will be organised by the MEA across the country as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav week’ from February 21 to 27.
Amid reported deadly missile attacks from Russia’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine, including the capital Kiev and other cities, terrified families have been forced to seek shelter underground, the UN said on Friday, adding that at least 100,000 people have likely been displaced by the violence.
“There have been major attacks in Kiev that have created greater fear and panic among the population, with families really scared, moving alongside their children into subways and shelters, and this is clearly a terrifying moment for children across the country,” said Afshan Khan, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director, Europe and Central Asia, speaking in Geneva.
The development follows renewed condemnation for the Russian move by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who on Thursday appealed for peace and allocated $20 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to meet urgent needs.
The use of force by one country against another is “the repudiation of the principles that every country has committed to uphold,” which applied to the military offensive in Ukraine, Mr. Guterres insisted.
“It is wrong. It is against the Charter. It is unacceptable. But it is not irreversible.”
Civilian deaths confirmed
Two days since Russia launched military operations inside Ukraine, the UN rights office, OHCHR, confirmed that confirmed that many civilians have already been killed and injured.
“We’ve received reports of at least 127 civilian casualties; this includes 25 killed and 102 injured in Ukraine, caused by shelling and airstrikes…this is very likely to be an underestimate,” said Ravina Shamdasani, OHCHR spokesperson.
Communities are already in need of aid relief, too, UN humanitarians warned.
Fuel, cash, medical supply shortages
“When we look at shortages, we’re talking about fuel, which has been well reported in the media, we’re talking about cash, because often in humanitarian situations, cash assistance would be our first support to families, so obviously there’s been a drawdown on banks,” said UNICEF’s Ms. Khan.
Echoing that message and in an appeal for guaranteed humanitarian access to the most vulnerable individuals, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted concerns that medical teams face being overwhelmed.
“We don’t have reports yet from the hospitals, when we look to particular injuries and the details of medical,” said Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.
“Where our focus has been now, is that the prepositioned medical kits. We will run out of them soon, so what is important currently…is how to ensure new supplies to come and…[that] there are humanitarian corridors from the neighbouring countries available.”
Priority needs
UN agencies have been active in Ukraine for many years, particularly since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 – a move in large part rejected by the international community.
Immediate priorities include assessing what already vulnerable communities need in eastern regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and other oblasts.
“We are still trying to monitor what the situation is vis-à-vis civilian infrastructure,” said UNICEF’s Ms. Khan.
“As you know, there has been hits of critical infrastructure in the east, particularly in Donbass for some years and they have been cut off, hence the UNICEF water trucking [operations]. In the current scenario we are still trying to see which civilian infrastructure has been hit [and] where.”
Announcing the $20 million emergency funding allocation for the Ukraine crisis, Mr. Guterres underscored that the UN and its humanitarian partners are “committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need.”
A man stands in a school that was damaged by constant shelling in Oleksandrivka, near Donetsk, Ukraine. (file)
Lives shattered
Forced mass displacement has also begun, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed.
“There are more than 100,000 who we estimate have lost their homes and are displaced inside [the] country and we are also aware of several thousand who have crossed international borders in the region, and we’ve seen those really just happening since the onset of the situation,” said UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo.
“We’re seeing these reports and we’ve seen for instance yesterday that there were about 5,000 refugee arrivals in Moldova already, but the other movements are being reported in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Russian Federation.”
Russian protesters warned off
While the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) warned that Ukraine’s people were “terrified of further escalation,” agency spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani flagged concerns inside of Russia.
“Reportedly more than 1,800 were arrested…it’s impossible at this point to know to know exactly how many people there were,” Ms. Shamdasani said referring to anti-war protesters.
“It is unclear whether some of them have now been released. What we understand is that among those who were arrested were also some journalists, and they were arrested in over 50 cities across Russia.”
Teleworking, gender equality, mental health and unpaid care work are the focus of events around International Women’s Day on 8 March.
With the world emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, its impact on life at work and home feature high on the agenda. They will be the subject of an inter-parliamentary meeting on 3 March called An ambitious future for Europe’s women after Covid-19: mental load, gender equality in teleworking and unpaid care work after the pandemic.
The meeting is organised by Parliament’s women’s rights committee together with the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments. The event will be opened by Parliament President Roberta Metsola; Élisabeth Moreno, Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities in France; and Věra Jourová, vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Values and Transparency. Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir will give the keynote speech.
The meeting, hosted by Robert Biedroń, chair of the women’s rights committee, will take place via videoconference on Thursday 3 March from 9.00 to 12.00 CET and will be live streamed.
Other events
MEPs will mark International Women’s Day during the plenary session in Strasbourg on 8 March.
A media seminar in Strasbourg on 7 March will look at the role of the European Parliament and the EU in improving gender equality. It will be streamed.
Today’s events are a watershed moment for Europe. Bombs are falling on innocent women, men and children. They fear for their lives and many are dying. All of this happens in 2022 – in the very heart of Europe. President Putin chose to bring back war to Europe. This is a fully-fledged invasion of Ukraine. And this fundamentally puts into question our peace order.
But today I also say: The European Union stands united. Tonight, European Leaders were fully aligned in condemning the atrocious and unprovoked attacks. Now we have to meet the moment. We will hold the Kremlin accountable. The package of massive and targeted sanctions European Leaders approved tonight clearly demonstrates that. It will have maximum impact on the Russian economy and the political elite. It is built on five pillars: The first is the financial sector; second, the energy sector; the third is the transport sector; fourth are export controls and the ban of export financing; and finally, visa policy. Let me highlight some of the most important points.
First, this package includes financial sanctions that cut Russia’s access to the most important capital markets. We are now targeting 70% of the Russian banking market, but also key state-owned companies, including the field of defence. These sanctions will increase Russia’s borrowing costs, raise inflation and gradually erode Russia’s industrial base. We are also targeting the Russian elite by curbing their deposits so that they cannot hide their money anymore in safe havens in Europe.
The second main pillar targets the energy sector, a key economic area, which especially benefits the Russian state. Our export ban will hit the oil by making it impossible for Russia to upgrade its oil refineries, which gave actually Russia export revenues of EUR 24 billion in 2019.
The third topic is that we ban the sale of all aircrafts, spare parts and equipment to Russian airlines. This will degrade the key sector of Russia’s economy and the country’s connectivity. Three quarters of Russia’s current commercial air fleet were built in the European Union, the US and Canada. And therefore, they are massively depending on that.
The fourth point is that we are limiting Russia’s access to crucial technology. We will hit Russia’s access to important technologies it needs to build a prosperous future – such as semiconductors or cutting-edge technologies.
And finally, on visas. Diplomats and related groups, and business people will no longer have privileged access to the European Union.
As always, these measures are closely coordinated with our partners and allies. These are, of course, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Norway, but now also joined by South Korea, Japan or, for example, Australia. Our unity is our strength. The Kremlin knows this. And it has tried its best to divide us, but it has utterly failed. It has achieved exactly the opposite. We are more than ever united and we are determined
To conclude, let me stress that these events, indeed, mark the beginning of a new era. We must be very clear in our analysis: Putin is trying to subjugate a friendly European country. And he is trying to redraw the maps of Europe by force. He must, and he will, fail.
France has violated the rights of French children detained for years in camps in northeast Syria by failing to repatriate them, the UN Child Rights Committee said in findings issued on Thursday.
The Committee had considered three cases filed by a group of French nationals whose grandchildren, nieces and nephews are currently being held in the Rawj, Ayn Isa and Hawl camps, which are under the control of Kurdish forces.
The cases concern 49 children whose parents are alleged to have collaborated with the ISIL terrorist network, also known by the Arabic term Da’esh.
Some were born in Syria, while others travelled there with their French parents at a very young age.
The Committee found that France has the responsibility and power to protect the children against an imminent risk to their lives by taking action to repatriate them.
The Committee also concluded that France has not shown that it gave due consideration to the best interests of the child victims when assessing their relatives’ requests for repatriation.
The cases were brought to the Committee in 2019 and so far, 11 children have been repatriated.
The other 38 remain detained in “closed camps in a war zone”, according to a statement from the Committee. Some are as young as five-years-old.
The Committee has urged France to take urgent action to repatriate them.
‘Inhuman sanitary conditions’
The situation in the camps is extremely urgent, said Committee member Ann Skelton.
“The children are living in inhuman sanitary conditions, lacking basic necessities including water, food and health care, and facing an imminent risk of death. At least 62 children have reportedly died in the camps as a result of these conditions since the beginning of 2021,” she said
“We call on France to take immediate action, as every day that passes there is a renewed possibility for further casualties.”
In the interim, the French authorities are also urged to take additional measures to mitigate the risks to life, survival and development of the children while they remain in Syria.
The Committee is made up of 18 members who are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world. They serve in their personal capacity and are not UN staff nor do they receive a salary.
The President of the European Parliament delivered the following statement at the European Council on Thursday.
“Dear President of the European Council,
Dear President of the European Commission,
Dear Presidents and Prime Ministers,
Dear friends,
The scenes in Ukraine are difficult to witness – while we hoped and worked to promote a process of de-escalation, our fears and warnings were tragically realised this morning. President Putin has unleashed war in Europe.
This is outrageous. Cities, regions, Capitals of independent nations are not there for the taking. This is from the world of the painful past. It must never return.
The European Parliament’s political leaders were clear this morning and we will hold an extraordinary plenary session on Tuesday on the situation. We are together in our condemnation and our solidarity.
The Russian invasion into Ukraine is part of President Putin’s destabilisation agenda. It is a path that will bring the Kremlin in direct confrontation with Europe and the rule-based world-order. It is a path that pits authoritarianism against democracy. It is a path that we cannot allow him to walk unchallenged.
Ukraine is a country that embraced democracy and freedom – that believed it could forge a path for itself. Looking around the table, I can see the leaders of Member States whose populations believed the same. We cannot leave Ukraine alone. For their sake and for ours. We must show real solidarity with the people of Ukraine who awoke to their worst nightmare today.
We must also show solidarity with people fleeing and with Ukraine’s immediate EU neighbours as they face security and humanitarian challenges. I know many of you have already launched proactive measures – and you can count on the European Parliament for support.
The European Union has proved itself united and resolute. We spoke with one voice when it mattered the most. This must be the message that emerges from here tonight: that we will act in unison, that we have the political will and strategic capability to face this threat. That we stand with Ukraine.
We recognise Ukraine’s European perspective. We already have an association agreement and a free trade agreement, and very close cooperation with Ukraine in many areas, including on energy security. This is a conversation that we must keep having with our Ukrainian friends.
Europe stands for a way of life that embraces freedom and democracy. This is our strength.
We must not allow our resolve to be watered down by an aggressive Russia that pushes forward a value set that is very different to ours. That looks back at spheres of influence instead of forward to circles of cooperation.
If we are tempted to accommodate, to take a step back – we will be soon face another ultimatum. And what then?
Today, we face a threat not of our making, that we did not provoke – that we did not invite. Confronted with this aggression we have proved that the right thing to do is also the sensible thing to do.
It is right and it is sensible to show practical solidarity with Ukraine as we did with the € 1.2 billion assistance – as we have done with our statements and our actions. The people of Ukraine must know we are with them.
It is right and sensible to show our citizens in the Baltics and neighbouring States that our values matter. That we are prepared to pay a price for them if necessary. We must reaffirm this knowing the eyes of people in Moldova, Belarus and Georgia are on us.
It is right and sensible to have halted the Nordstream 2 project – perhaps to even go further.
And it is right and sensible to adopt massive, unprecedented, severe sanctions on Russia. We need more and they must be further-reaching including the exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT system, individual sanctions with noone off the table. Then we need the same commitment to develop a true European security and defence union
Let me shortly raise two issues that we cannot ignore.
We all understand that the threat goes beyond the immediate and that there are real implications for our energy security. We cannot ignore that we have Member States that are totally reliant on Russian gas. We need to diversify our energy solutions and invest massively in Europe and in renewables.
Sowing doubt, instability and fear accompany the Kremlin’s conventional warfare apparatus. This war is also being waged online. The Putin-backed narrative – a coordinated disinformation campaign – is spreading. We need to do more to counter the toxic re-writing of history. Let me assure you the European Parliament and its Members are committed to pushing forward the message of Europe
Finally, let me say that the Kremlin has long thought it could buy its way into Europe. It is time to close any loopholes, end the dangerous phenomenon of golden passports that provide a backdoor to European citizenship and ensure that Russian money does not become as critical as Russian gas.
At the end of the day, this is how we achieve our strategic autonomy.
Russian military operations inside the sovereign territory of Ukraine “on a scale that Europe has not seen in decades, conflict directly with the United Nations Charter,” Secretary-General António Guterres told journalists on Thursday.
Secretary-General António Guterres releases $20M for humanitarian support
Despite a sustained UN-led and international diplomatic push to avert military action in Ukraine, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin did just that – triggering a barrage of reactions, beginning with the UN chief, condemning the move and appealing for peace.
“All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations,” he said, quoting the Charter.
Wrong but not irreversible
He underscored that the use of force by one country against another is “the repudiation of the principles that every country has committed to uphold”, which he stated, applies to the present military offensive.
“It is wrong. It is against the Charter. It is unacceptable. But it is not irreversible”, the UN chief said.
He went on to repeat the appeal he made to Russian President Vladimir Putin last night.
“Stop the military operation. Bring the troops back to Russia”, he reiterated.
Toll of war
As deaths rise, and images of fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine are pervasive, the top UN official reminded that “people – everyday innocent people – always pay the highest price”.
This is why the UN is scaling up its humanitarian operations in and around Ukraine.
“Today I am announcing that we will immediately allocate $20 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to meet urgent needs,” he flagged, reiterating that the UN and its humanitarian partners are “committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need”.
Assisting both side
He informed the reporters that UN staff are working on “both sides of the contact line,” providing lifesaving humanitarian relief to people in need, “regardless of who or where they are”.
“The protection of civilians must be priority number one”, he stressed.
The UN chief restated that international humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld, nothing that the decisions of the coming days “will shape our world and directly affect the lives of millions upon millions of people”.
“In line with the Charter, it’s not too late to save this generation from the scourge of war,” concluded the Secretary-General, “we need peace”.
OHCHR: Violating international law
Prior to the media briefing, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet issued a statement on the military attack.
“Civilians in various parts of Ukraine were awoken by sounds of heavy bombardment and are terrified of further escalation, with many fleeing their homes,” she said. “This military action clearly violates international law and puts at risk countless civilian lives. It must be immediately halted.”
Ms. Bachelet reminded that States failing to take all reasonable measures to settle their international disputes by peaceful means “fall short of complying with their obligation to protect the right to life.”
Civilian protection a priority
Reports have emerged of military strikes near major cities with significant populations, including Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Odesa, Mariupol and the capital, Kyiv.
“The protection of the civilian population must be a priority. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas should – at all costs – be avoided,” underscored the High Commissioner.
She called for the full respect of international humanitarian law, in particular the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their first additional protocol of 1977, as well as international human rights law.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission remains in the country and will continue to closely monitor and report on the situation.
‘Information war’
The UN human rights chief also warned of “an information war” under way.
“It is particularly crucial at this time that we continue to closely monitor and attempt to verify reports of human rights violations, including civilian casualties, damage to civilian objects, including critical infrastructure, and other impact on human rights on the ground,” she upheld.
UN coordinator: Guiding humanitarian principles
Meanwhile, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Osnat Lubrani, expressed the Organization’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
“As we try to understand the evolving situation in different parts of the country… we are here to support the people exhausted by years of conflict and we are prepared to respond in case of any increase in humanitarian needs”, she said in a statement.
Ms. Lubrani reminded that humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence are the four principles guiding humanitarian assistance.
“Our aim is always to provide the most vulnerable civilians with critical humanitarian relief supplies and services, regardless of who or where they are,”she assured.
This includes the obligations under the Security CouncilResolution 2222 on the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in situations of conflict, to promote free, independent and impartial media as one of the essential foundations of a democratic society, and which can contribute to the protection of civilians.
Finally, UNESCO also called for “restraint from attacks on, or harm to, children, teachers, education personnel or schools, and for the right to education to be upheld”.
UNICEF: Refrain from harming children
At the same time, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) echoed the Secretary-General’s appeal for an immediate cease-fire and called on all parties to respect their international obligations to protect children from harm, and to ensure that humanitarian actors can safely and quickly reach children in need.
“UNICEF also calls on all parties to refrain from attacking essential infrastructure on which children depend – including water and sanitation systems, health facilities and schools,” added UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
The World Food Programme (WFP) expressed deep concern “for the impact of hostilities on the lives and livelihoods of civilians.”
“As the situation evolves, there is a need to ensure that affected communities have continued access to any humanitarian support they may require and that the safety of humanitarian staff on the ground is guaranteed,” said WFP Director of Emergencies Margot van der Velden.
Taking to social media, WFP chief David Beasly tweeted that “And just when you think it can’t get any worse, the world wakes up to a conflict in Ukraine.”
He pointed out that the military action is likely to cause economic deterioration around the world especially for countries like Yemen, dependent on wheat imports from Ukraine and Russia.
“Prices will go up compounding an already terrible situation,” he lamented.
UN Photo/Loey FelipeSecretary-General António Guterres briefs journalists on the current situation in Ukraine.
The Russian offensive continues its advance towards Kiev.
Fighting is underway near the nuclear waste depot at the Chernobyl plant “The troops of the occupants entered from Belarus into the area of the Chernobyl plant. Members of the National Guard protecting the depot are stubbornly resisting,” Interior Ministry adviser Anton Guerashchenko wrote on Telegram.
The situation is also “tense” in the south of the country, where fighting is taking place for the towns of Genitchesk, Skadovsk and Chaplynka in the Kherson region near Crimea, he added.
“Fighting is underway for the airport of Gostomel” located a few kilometers northwest of Kiev, had announced the head of the Ukrainian army Valery Zaloujny. Images on social networks show that it was apparently attacked by numerous helicopters.
Ukrainian capital Kiev imposes curfew in the afternoon
The mayor of Kiev announced the establishment of a curfew in the Ukrainian capital to preserve “security” of residents after the start of the Russian invasion. “The curfew will last from 22:00 to 07:00,” added the mayor in a statement, specifying that public transport would not operate during this period but that the metro stations would remain open permanently to serve as shelters in case of strikes.
According to Zelensky, who was speaking in a video address at around 5:00 p.m., the airport was taken by Russian forces but the landing of paratroopers in Gostomel, where it is located, was “blocked” and Ukrainian forces who “received orders to destroy them.”
Russia bans anti-war demonstrations.
The Russian Interior Ministry announced that such gatherings would be made “illegal” on Thursday, February 24. There have been some 700 arrests of anti-war protesters in Russia, according to NGOs
Russia has just claimed that it has “successfully” fulfilled all the objectives set on the first day of its invasion of Ukraine. “All tasks assigned to the military groups of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the day were successfully completed,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
Russia says it has destroyed 74 military installations, including 11 airfields
“As a result of strikes by the Russian armed forces, 74 land-based facilities of the Ukrainian military infrastructure have been put out of action. This includes 11 airfields of the air force,” announced on television the spokesman of the Russian Ministry of Defense, General Igor Konashenkov.
Nato
Nato is deploying forces and preparing an emergency meeting on Friday. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) has announced the deployment of “defensive ground and air forces (…) as well as additional maritime assets” in the eastern countries of the Alliance, of which Ukraine is not a part. “Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and not progressive,” said the organization,.
Several Nato member countries have triggered Article 4 of the Alliance’s treaty. This is the case of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Their desire is to launch consultations following the attack of Russia against Ukraine.which also convened a summit Friday, at the request of Estonia and Lithuania.
Sanctions
Western sanctions against Moscow are multiplying. While Germany has announced the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. The United Kingdom has announced a series of measures against the Russian banking system.
U.S. President Joe Biden will address Americans at 7:30 p.m. about “the unprovoked and unwarranted attack on Ukraine by Russia,” the White House said in a statement.
He is expected to discuss the U.S. response, which has promised to deeply undermine the Russian economy and finance, after consulting with his G7 counterparts.
Early this morning, Russian troops invaded Ukraine, a free and sovereign country. Once again, in the centre of Europe, innocent women, men and children are dying or fear for their lives. We condemn this barbaric attack, and the cynical arguments to justify it.
It is President Putin, who is bringing war back to Europe. In these dark hours, the European Union and its people stand by Ukraine and its people. We are facing an unprecedented act of aggression by the Russian leadership against a sovereign, independent country. Russia’s target is not only Donbas, the target is not only Ukraine, the target is the stability in Europe and the whole of the international peace order. And we will hold President Putin accountable for that.
Later today, we will present a package of massive and targeted sanctions, to European Leaders for approval. With this package, we will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to technologies and markets that are key for Russia. We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its capacity to modernise. And in addition, we will freeze Russian assets in the European Union and stop the access of Russian banks to European financial markets. Like with the first package of sanctions, we are closely aligned with our partners and allies – the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, but also, for example, Japan and Australia. These sanctions are designed to take a heavy toll on the Kremlin’s interests and their ability to finance war.
And we know that millions of Russians do not want war. President Putin is trying to turn back the clock to the times of the Russian empire. But in doing so, he is putting at risk the future of the Russian people. I call on Russia to immediately stop the violence and to withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s territory. We will not let President Putin tear down the security architecture that has given Europe peace and stability over many decades. We will not allow President Putin to replace the rule of law by the rule of force and ruthlessness. He should not underestimate the resolve and strength of our democracies.
History has proven that societies and alliances built on trust and freedom are resilient and successful. And that is exactly what the autocrats fear. The European Union stands with Ukraine and its people. We will continue to support them. Ukraine will prevail.
We the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) are appalled by and condemn the large-scale military aggression by the Russian Federation against the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, directed partly from Belarusian soil. This unprovoked and completely unjustified attack on the democratic state of Ukraine was preceded by fabricated claims and unfounded allegations. It constitutes a serious violation of international law and a grave breach of the United Nations Charter and all commitments Russia entered in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris and its commitments in the Budapest Memorandum. We as the G7 are bringing forward severe and coordinated economic and financial sanctions. We call on all partners and members of the international community to condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms, to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, and raise their voice against this blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international peace and security.
This crisis is a serious threat to the rules-based international order, with ramifications well beyond Europe. There is no justification for changing internationally recognized borders by force. This has fundamentally changed the Euro-Atlantic security situation. President Putin has re-introduced war to the European continent. He has put himself on the wrong side of history.
We are committed to uphold peace, stability and international law. We are united in our support for the people of Ukraine and its democratically elected government. In this dark hour our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. We stand ready to support with humanitarian assistance in order to mitigate the suffering, including for refugees and displaced persons from the Russian aggression.
We call on the Russian Federation to stop the bloodshed, to immediately de-escalate and to withdraw its forces from Ukraine. We also call on Russia to ensure the safety of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. We also condemn the involvement of Belarus in this aggression against Ukraine and call on Belarus to abide by its international obligations.
We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russian President Putin’s decision on February 21 to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk self-declared entities in eastern Ukraine as “independent” states as well as his decision to send Russian military forces into these regions. We call on other states not to follow Russia’s illegal decision to recognize the proclaimed independence of these entities. The decision by President Putin is a grave violation of the basic principles enshrined in the UN Charter, in particular the respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states and also a blatant breach of UN Security Council resolution 2202 – supported by the Russian Federation as a permanent member of the Security Council – as well as of the Minsk agreements, which stipulate the return of the areas concerned to the control of the Ukrainian Government.
We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and territorial waters as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future and security arrangements. We reaffirm that illegally occupied Crimea and the self-declared “people’s republics” are an integral part of Ukraine.
We condemn President Putin for his consistent refusal to engage in a diplomatic process to address questions pertaining to European security, despite our repeated offers.
We stand united with partners, including NATO, the EU and their member states as well as Ukraine and remain determined to do what is necessary to preserve the integrity of the international-rules base order. In this regard, we are also closely monitoring global oil and gas market conditions, including in the context of Russia’s further military aggression against Ukraine. We support consistent and constructive engagement and coordination among major energy producers and consumers toward our collective interest in the stability of global energy supplies, and stand ready to act as needed to address potential disruptions. Visit the meeting page
