Photo by Anastasiia Krutota on Unsplash
The “survival” of Ukrainians depends on continued financial aid to the war-torn country, according to a leading human rights lawyer.
The comments, by Oleksandra Matviichuk, come amid intensified attacks in the Russia-Ukraine war and pressure to initiate peace negotiations.
Matviichuk is a leading Ukrainian human rights lawyer and co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
She spoke about the situation on the ground in Ukraine and whether Ukraine should be negotiating with Vladimir Putin.
Matviichuk was recently in Brussels to address the International Conference on Accountability and Justice for Ukraine. She was also the Guest of Honour at the RSF Press Freedom Prize 2023 and participated in the European Parliament’s High-Level Conference on Human rights.
In a Q&A Matviichuk was asked about her trip to Brussels where she spoke to politicians and experts and participated in several round table discussions.
She said, “I literally did everything I could for these few days here. Like many Ukrainians I felt guilty about being in security abroad even temporarily, so I tried to use my time effectively.”
When asked what the visit achieved, she said that two important issues are being resolved in Brussels. The first: how to stop blocking promised financial aid to Ukraine as the survival of people under Russian aggression depends on it.
She said the recent EU meeting, where Ukraine was given the go ahead to start accession talks, had a far-reaching impact, adding, “Yes, this is only the beginning of a long journey, Ukraine still has a lot to do to meet the membership criteria, but this decision is more than just symbolic. Ten years ago, millions of people in Ukraine stood up against the corrupt authoritarian regime that had curtailed the European integration process.”
“The Revolution of Dignity won, but more than a hundred peaceful demonstrators were shot. People were dying under the flags of Ukraine and the EU in the central square of the country. When the authoritarian regime collapsed and Ukraine got a chance to move on the European integration track, Russia started this war to stop us on this path, occupied Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine, and expanded it to a full-scale invasion last year,” she said.
“The reason why I stress this is that millions of people in Ukraine are paying the highest price just for the freedom to make their indepndent choice for European integration. We needed this green light from the EU that nothing has been in vain,” added the lawyer.
