The following statement and appeal was issued by the Ukrainian World Congress on November 19.
The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) condemns the military actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine and Syria including the ongoing build-up of troops, weaponry and aircraft in this region.
Emboldened by some wavering on the part of the international community regarding sanctions against the Russian Federation in response to its illegal occupation of Crimea and hybrid war on the territory of eastern Ukraine, the Russian Federation continues to escalate its military involvement in the war in Ukraine and Syria in an effort to continue bolstering its imperialist ambitions.
It is critical for the international community to understand the parallels between the Russian Federation’s military actions in Ukraine and Syria, including the indiscriminate targeting of innocent civilians, humanitarian aid convoys and hospitals.
The UWC calls upon its network of community organizations to support the media campaign launched by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine titled “Condemn Russia’s Crimes in Ukraine and Syria” designed to reinforce the message that Russian aggression endangers peace and stability in the world.
You can support this campaign by:
• Following and sharing UWC Facebook and Twitter posts (https://www.facebook.com/UWCongress/);
• Following and sharing Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Facebook and Twitter posts (https://www.facebook.com/UkraineMFA/?fref=ts);
• Downloading the seven infographics prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine from the UWC website, and sharing them as widely as possible (http://www.ukrainianworldcongress.org/index.php/id/775/lang/en);
• Sharing the video produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine available on the UWC YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/fSIqpenSpPA) .
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls upon the international community to increase sanctions against the Russian Federation in response to its blatant violations of international norms and to closely monitor the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine and Syria,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
* * *
The UWC is the international coordinating body for Ukrainian communities in the diaspora representing the interests of over 20 million Ukrainians. The UWC has a network of member organizations and ties with Ukrainians in 53 countries. Founded in 1967, the UWC was recognized in 2003 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council as a non-governmental organization with special consultative status.