Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the 4th Anniversary of the Launch of Armed Aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation
On the 20 February 2014, the Russian Federation launched against Ukraine a military aggression it had planned beforehand, which resulted in the temporary illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the City of Sevastopol as well as an attempt by the Russian Federation to annex the aforementioned administrative divisions and extend the international armed conflict to Donetsk and Luhansk Regions of Ukraine. These criminal acts claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people, brought about colossal destruction of property in the conflict area, turned 1,8-million Ukrainians into internally displaced persons.
Showing full disregard for international law, the Russian occupation authorities are committing large-scale, serious violations of human rights in the occupied territories, aiming to break down and subdue all those disagreeing with the Kremlin’s aggressive policies, demonstratively ignoring the order by the International Court of Justice on the matter, as well as directly organising and encouraging its puppets to perpetrate similar actions in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions.
The occupying power resorts to taking Ukrainian citizens hostage – as a result of falsified criminal cases, dozens of persons have been illegally detained in Russia as well as in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas. Their release remains one of the main priorities for Ukraine and the international community.
The international community is unanimous in condemning the illegal acts by the Russian aggressor. This is proven by the numerous decisions made by Ukraine’s partner states, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, OSCE, the European Union, NATO and other international organizations.
Ukraine is grateful to its international partners for their clear position with regard to protecting and restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
A United Nations peacekeeping mission deployed throughout the occupied Donbas area, including areas adjacent to the temporarily uncontrolled segment of the Ukrainian-Russian border, should become an effective instrument for the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine urges its partners to use all appropriate means in order to prevent the escalation of the international armed conflict in the territory of Ukraine caused by the Kremlin's aggressive policy, force the Russian Federation to stop its aggression, violations of human rights and support of terrorist activities, establish a United Nations peacekeeping mission, end the occupation of Crimea and the seized territories of the Ukrainian Donbass, as well as make a full reparation of inflicted damage.