Representatives of Ukrainian civil society and human rights organizations condemned the negotiations between the Russian and the US delegations on Ukraine, which took place in Saudi Arabia, as well as plans to create negotiating groups without the participation of Ukraine.
They published a corresponding open statement on the website of the ZMINA Human Rights Center.
According to the authors, such agreements have nothing to do with sustainable peace and international security, but instead create additional security, economic, and other threats for the states that support them.
"Any ʼsettlementʼ without proper international justice will not only fail to bring lasting peace, but will also entrench impunity, creating the prerequisites for expanding aggression, escalating the situation, and committing new crimes in the future," the statement said.
The authors emphasized that the insufficient response of foreign states and international organizations to the occupation of Crimea, the aggression in Donbas in 2014, and the numerous crimes of the occupation troops and administration instilled a sense of impunity among the Russian leadership and, as a result, led to the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.
That is why any cessation of hostilities must be based on the principles of international law, including holding those responsible for international crimes accountable.
In addition, the statement emphasizes the inadmissibility of interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine.
"Any ʼplansʼ that envisage holding elections in Ukraine as a condition for a ʼpeaceful settlementʼ are a gross violation of the sovereignty of the state. No external force has the right to impose political decisions on Ukraine, especially in the context of unceasing aggression and occupation of part of the territories. In addition, elections in wartime will endanger the lives of voters, make it impossible for Ukrainian defenders to properly participate in the electoral process, and, as a result, will call into question the legitimacy of the government elected in this way," the statement said.
The authors of the statement call for:
- States and other subjects of international law should not participate in negotiations without the direct participation of Ukraine and adhere to the principle of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine”.
- Other human rights and international organizations around the world condemn the holding of such negotiations without Ukraineʼs participation and demand that those responsible for international crimes be brought to justice.
- The ICC member states — to ensure the execution of arrest warrants for individuals responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including Vladimir Putin.
- Governments of the UN member states that adhere to the UN Charter and are interested in preserving the principles of international law should strengthen support for Ukraine as the only real way to end the war on just terms.
- Governments of the UN member states that adhere to the UN Charter and are interested in preserving the principles of international law should increase sanctions pressure on Russia, including additional restrictions on companies that cooperate with the Russian military-industrial complex.
"We emphasize that a just and lasting peace is possible only through the restoration of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as through the inevitability of punishment for those guilty of the most serious international crimes. Any attempts at ʼreconciliationʼ without Ukraine and without justice for the victims are not only unacceptable, but also dangerous for the entire international legal order," the authors suggested.
The statement was signed, in particular, by the organizations Truth Hounds, Crimean Human Rights Group, Kharkiv Institute for Social Research, Media Initiative for Human Rights, Institute of Mass Information, SE "Detector Media" and others.
- On February 18, Russia and the United States held their first talks in Saudi Arabia. No specific date has been agreed upon for the meeting between Putin and Trump, which is unlikely to take place next week. However, the parties agreed to create negotiating groups to end the war in Ukraine.
- After the talks, the US President Donald Trump criticized Kyiv and Brussels, and also supported holding elections in Ukraine. In his opinion, there were opportunities to conclude a peace agreement with Russia during the "three years of war".
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