The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) resolutely condemns Russia’s decision to recognize the Russia-controlled terrorist organizations of the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk “people’s republics” (“DPR” and “LPR”).
Such a step is another act of aggression against Ukraine and its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. It is a blatant violation of international law and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party. It also marks an end to the Minsk process and demonstrates Russia’s decision to choose a path of global isolation and aggression against the international rules-based order.
UWC calls on Ukraine’s partners and allies to respond with unity and resolve. This further invasion, masked as a separatist movement, requires a strong response:
- Stop Nord Stream 2
- Block accounts and arrest all assets of Putin, his family, proxies and enablers
- Remove Russia from SWIFT
- Ban all Russian maritime vessels from western ports
8 years ago, Russia staged a covert coup in the East of Ukraine disguised as a separatist movement, fueled a war in the Donbas region, and established the puppet quasi-republics of “DPR” and “LPR” through a military intervention of Ukraine.
Since 2019, the Russian government has been pursuing tactics of a gradual illegal annexation of the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region. As of today, more than 770,000 Russian passports have been illegally issued to Ukraine’s citizens in these occupied territories. Local economy, social and cultural sectors have also been integrated into Russia.
During these years, Moscow has continued to fuel the war in eastern Ukraine and it is now looking for a pretext to launch a full-scale invasion of the country.
“Putin questions the very existence of Ukraine as a state and as a nation. His decision to recognize the Donetsk/Luhansk “people’s republics” is a clear act of further aggression against Ukraine and he has made it clear that Moscow won’t stop until it takes full control of Ukraine. The prospect of further Russian invasion of Ukraine grows more likely every day,” stated Paul Grod, UWC President. “The Ukrainian World Congress calls on the global democratic community to immediately implement punitive sanctions against Russia and personally against Putin as well as his oligarch enablers. NATO and its allies must significantly increase military and economic support to Ukraine.”
