Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 brought war to Europe and conclusively demonstrated the following to the international democratic community:

• The policy of imperial revanchism, deliberately pursued by the Russian state under the leadership of President Putin, is a serious risk to the democratic world order and security in Europe and throughout the world.
• The lack of a clear response from international institutions to violations of international agreements encourages new aggression and exacerbates its consequences.

The war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine since 2014 has already claimed the lives of thousands of people in Ukraine. The Russian leadership continues to grossly violate numerous international norms and agreements. Among other things, the Russian authorities and their supporters are responsible for the abduction and illegal detention of Ukrainian citizens, torture, murder, the creation of filtration camps, the removal of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation and their adoption there. Tens of thousands of war crimes and violations of international humanitarian norms have been recorded, which were committed by the military personnel of the Russian army during the occupation of the territories of Ukraine.

The work of eliminating the numerous consequences of the war, such as demining territories, restoring infrastructure, helping traumatised people and restoring the rights of victims of the war, will require serious investments by the Ukrainian state and the international community for many decades to come.

The international platform CivilMPlus stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom, independence and democracy and calls on the international community for collective active and diverse support of Ukraine based on the following principles:

1. The restoration of Ukraine within the borders of 1991 is a necessary condition for the end of the war.
2. Those guilty of crimes in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine must be brought to justice.

• The establishment of a special tribunal and the use of universal jurisdiction tools to bring the perpetrators to justice in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine is an important signal of the viability of the international justice system and demonstrates the political will of leading democratic leaders.
• International financial and technical support for the national justice system of Ukraine, also including the activities of civil initiatives that document the war crimes of the Russian army in Ukraine, will allow for a quality process of restoring justice and investigating a large array of crimes at the national level.
• Russian citizens who support the aggressive imperial policy of the Putin regime are collectively responsible for the crimes of the Russian state in the war against Ukraine.

3. Ukraine is a European democracy.

• Despite the war, Ukraine is working to rebuild its destroyed infrastructure, prepare for post-war reconstruction processes, and continue to develop democratic institutions on the path to European integration. The support of the EU and the participation of civil society in this process is an important guarantee for the success of reforms and stabilization.
• The processes of restoration and normalization of social and political life in the liberated Ukrainian territories should take into account the principles of the rule of law and respect for human rights.
• Citizen participation in local government, the development of local civic activism and entrepreneurial activity are important support for decentralization reforms, the restoration of effective public administration structures and social peace.
• The full involvement of Ukrainian civic activists in international networks and the strengthening of existing international partnerships is an important factor for developing shared values and continuing the process of democratization in Ukraine.

4. The demilitarization of the regime in Russia, the democratization of the country, the rejection of the imperial ideology and the real right to self-determination will be important elements to avoid the resumption of Russia’s expansionist policy in the future.

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The CivilMPlus platform is an association of independent non-governmental organizations and experts from different countries and with different views that supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The actions and positions of the platform participants are based on the values of freedom and democracy, which Ukrainians are defending today.

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The text of the statement does not necessarily reflect the position of all CivilMPlus member organizations.

For additional information or media inquiries, please contact Artem Danylchenko, Communications Coordinator – [email protected].