Dear Editor:
Russia invaded Ukraine in Crimea and in the Donbas six years ago.
As a result of Russia’s incessant military aggression against Ukraine since then, over 13,000 individuals have been killed and over 30,000 injured in the Donbas, and there are currently over 1.5 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine.
During this military aggression, six years ago – on 17 July 17, 2014 – Russian military forces downed civilian flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine, horrifying the world and killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members aboard.
As a result of this heinous crime, nearly 300 families in the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand and the United States are still mourning the loss of loved ones.
As we pray for all the MH17 victims and their grieving families, let us remember that Russia’s military aggression in Crimea and eastern Ukraine is not only a local problem and that the downing of MH17 in eastern Ukraine by Russian forces directly affected families in 11 other countries in the world.
The NGO Ukraine-2050 calls upon the international community to keep the memory of this dark page alive and to provide Ukraine all the support it needs to overcome Russia’s ongoing military aggression in order to make this world a safer place to live in.
Eugene Czolij
Kyiv
The letter-writer is president of the NGO Ukraine-2050, a non-profit organization established to help implement, within one generation – by 2050, strategies for the sustainable development of Ukraine as a fully independent, territorially integral, democratic, reformed and economically competitive European state.