Address of Professor Olga Garaschuk, President of the German-Ukrainian Academic Society, to mark the third anniversary of the start of the full-scale war russia wages against Ukraine

Three years ago, russia started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A genocidal war of annihilation against democracy, freedom and self-determination of a European nation. The combat operations were planned to last 2 weeks at most. The russian soldiers brought not only weapons but also their parade dress uniforms, in anticipation of the celebration of a fast victory and a total subjugation of Ukraine. In Germany, some politicians and so-called “military experts” predicted the attacked country to fall within days or few weeks. Today, three years fast forward, the world witnesses how this “three-day war” advances in its fourth year, but Ukraine stands, – thanks to the lives and bravery of its defendants, resilience of its society and support of its true friends and allies, including Germany.

Ukrainian men and women at the front-line fight for their own but also for our freedom! With their lives, they bought us three years to finally understand that the world we knew ceased to exist, that we need to act determinedly and fast to stop this war and prevent it from spreading any further. Did we manage? I am afraid the answer is resounding no. The axis of evil has quickly formed, while we still lack a strategy and determination.

If somebody said three years ago that on European soil, North Koreans would be testing their weapons and gaining experience in the real war, no person in their right mind would have believed it. But today this is not even a front-page news. We are tired of yet another unthinkable news and seem to be terrified to act. Worldwide, the territory of democracy and freedom is melting faster than ice over Greenland. The rules-based world order, where values, agreements and international law have a meaning, evaporates in front of us. In the “new world without order”, where the might is right, there are no more alliances nor allies nor mutual obligations. The laws of the jungle now rule on both sides of the Pacific. Recently, a Canadian politician said: “What we have been experiencing during the last weeks is what Ukrainians have been experiencing since 2014”.

Under these circumstances, can we afford to lose Ukraine? It has the largest and most capable army on the continent. It is the only army that can fight a modern high-tech war. Can we let russians to take it over?

Can we afford to lose 40 million talented freedom-loving people, who happen to not identify themselves as russians and this is the only reason they have been subjected to genocides again and again over the last 300 years by the unsatable imperial neighbour. Can we afford to allow our adversary to gain control over 40% of the world’s black soil, valuable natural resources, including rare earths? Europe’s security and economic independence depends on Ukraine. We are in this together. And there is only one just end to this war: Ukraine must prevail. The sooner the better. Only then can the world reinstate the law, justice and fairness. Impunity will result in more wars.

These turbulent times demand resolve and strong efforts from all of us. Together we can find the way out of this existential crisis.