Today Ukraine and the whole of Europe face an extraordinary threat caused by Russia’s aggression and Putin’s attempt to change the democratically elected government of Ukraine. We, the Georgian people, fully support Ukraine’s heroic fight for independence and sovereignty. We are heartened to see that the whole world is in solidarity with President Zelensky and his people. Ukrainians are fighting not only for their future but also for the future of Europeans, for the future of Georgia and Moldova, and for every individual, family, and country who wants to live in peace, prosperity, and security.
We deplore the lies to which President Putin resorts in attempting to justify an unjustifiable war. We applaud the thousands of people in Russia who continue to protest President Putin’s despotism in defiance of his apparatus of repression. We recognise that this war is not the will of the people of the Russian Federation but the fantasy of their corrupted leader.
This is not a regional conflict. This is the latest development in a global war waged by autocrats and kleptocrats. We thank the people of Ukraine for their valour and we pledge our support to their cause. We call for safe passage to be provided to the students and workers of other nationalities trapped in the country, and insist that Ukraine's international partners provide refuge for all those displaced by the war.
We, the Georgian people, face the same challenges as Ukraine does. Russia, too, has occupied our land, has waged war against our statehood and sovereignty, and has attempted to change democratically elected Government through force and hybrid warfare. We were first to withstand this deadly challenge in 2008, albeit at a tremendous human cost and Russia’s occupation of 20% of our territory.
We are glad to see that European leaders and public opinion are inclined towards accepting Ukraine, whole and free to the family of European nations. We fully support President Zelensky’s drive for Ukraine to join the European Union. We are also glad to see that the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, together with many EU member states and Members of the European Parliament, plan to discuss Ukraine’s European aspirations and membership perspective seriously. We want to ask the leadership of the EU institutions and EU Member States to grant Ukraine the clear path towards European Union membership.
Throughout the last days, EU citizens and governments have shown their full support of Ukraine by defending Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Russia and providing Ukrainians with military, economic, and financial assistance. Ukrainian people deserve to be part of the most peaceful and prosperous club of European nations, which emerged after the devastating world war. Ukrainians have shown that they can give the ultimate sacrifice – their lives for their European future. Maidan of 2004, Euromaidan of 2014, and their heroic fight of 2022 against Russia is a testament to the Ukrainian people’s European identity and readiness to define their future free of tanks, bombs, and Russian dictate.
The Georgian people are fully in solidarity with Ukraine in their fight for independence and European aspiration. We strongly believe that the European Union and Member states should treat the Eastern Partnership region’s Trio – Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, as one whole inseparable region, facing common problems related to Russia’s aggression, occupation, and annexation. Therefore, we hope that the EU will positively respond to Ukraine’s request for membership and, by the same token, open doors for Georgia’s and Moldova’s European perspectives.
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