Co-founder of AIWS City and co-chair of NGIC, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga – “On Russia invading Ukraine”

by Editor | Feb 25, 2022 | AIWS City and Rebuilding Ukraine, News

Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga

February 24, 2022

Our worst fears have become reality and every faint hope for peace we might still have had has been brutally dashed at 5 am on 24 Wednesday 2022. Ukraine, an independent, sovereign nation, long encircled by enemy troops, has now been blatantly invaded from three directions of the compass. Every principle of international law, every treaty and declaration of the UN has been breached by the Russian Federation, the very nation that at this moment – in a grotesque irony – presides the Security Council of the UN.

The President of the Russian Federation has been complaining for years that the Western world he abhors did not listen closely enough to his monomaniacal delusions of grandeur, to his mendacious rewriting of history, to his more and more openly burning rage at Russia having lost the full power to terrify and subjugate all its neighbours and beyond. He set himself the impossible mission of erasing time and turning back history. He kept proclaiming Russia’s exceptionalism, he reminded the world of his nuclear arsenal, and kept insisting on his personal right as its president to order and decree just what his neighbouring nations would be allowed to do or not. Whenever they dared to take steps in the direction of true independence and democratic development, President Putin took this as a personal wound to his narcissism and his inner rage and resentment burned all the more brightly.

In his decision to invade Ukraine, President Putin has gone beyond all bounds of acceptable international behaviour. It is now high time the US and EU countries who have been desperately threatening sanctions as a means of deterrence now face reality and get down to really imposing them. Not think about doing so, not talk about it, but do it and do it now, immediately, to-day, without further delay. Not decorative sanctions on hapless Duma deputies of whom most will have few assets to freeze, not conscience-salving measures targeting a few million of the total assets of mega-billionaires, but systemic, nation-wide, serious financial and banking sanctions that will have bite and that will be felt.

Let us not be deceived into believing that there is only “a Ukrainian crisis”, “a Ukrainian problem” or “a NATO problem”. There is a catastrophic Russian problem that threatens the security of the whole of Europe and of the North American continent along with it. Do let us wake up and do something about it.

Press statement by World Leader for Peace and Security Award 2020 recipient, President von der Leyen, on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine

by Editor | Feb 25, 2022 | AIWS City and Rebuilding Ukraine, News

24 February 2022

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.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/STATEMENT_22_1322