R1: FYEG stands in full solidarity with Ukraine for as long as necessary

FYEG stands in full solidarity with Ukraine for
as long as necessary

FYEG reaffirms its full solidarity with Ukraine in its struggle against Russian
imperialism. More than ten years after the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine
and annexation of Crimea, Donbas, and Luhansk, more than two years after
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the situation is alarming. On the
battlefield, the war seems to have settled into an attritional phase. Russia
regularly strikes civilian targets, such as its recent attack on Ukraine’s
largest children’s hospital.

The recent European elections saw gains for far-right parties, many of which
have close ties to Russia and are against supporting Ukraine. Hungarian Prime
Minister Viktor Orbán is utilising his veto to blackmail the EU into major
concessions when it comes to passing aid for Ukraine, while he and many other
far-right figures are openly repeating Putin’s narrative of the war. In the US,
there is a realistic chance of the re-election of Donald Trump which puts future
aid to Ukraine in question.

FYEG notes with worry that in some parts of Europe, ‘Ukraine fatigue’ has
started to set in. Atrocities committed in Ukraine rarely make the headlines.
The actions of many European governments suggest that they have not grasped the
terrible consequences a Ukrainian defeat would have not just for Ukraine, but
also for the rest of Europe. In fact, some European countries have gotten more
reliant on Russian fossil fuels than they were before the full-scale invasion.
Europe needs an integrated, decentralised, fossil fuel-free energy grid to stop
financing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin’s objective is to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state. Putin has
turned Russia into a more and more militarised country and is apparently
preparing for a long war. From the fall of 2024 onwards, military training will
be compulsory for children aged 15 and up, and voluntary for children aged 12
and up. In Russian schools, curricula are increasingly focused on indoctrinating
children. The Kremlin has turned the Russian economy into a war economy which is
financed by energy, primarily fossil fuel earnings. The Stockholm International
Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated that in 2024, Russian military
spending of various kinds would make up 35 percent of Russia’s federal budget,
or 7.1% of GDP.

The Russian destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam, the large-scale pollution of
Ukrainian water bodies with fossil fuels, and chemicals, and the large-scale
destruction of natural habitats are breaking international law and are
classifiable as ecocide. At the same time, Russia is threatening the Ukrainian
nuclear power plants and has refused to withdraw from their positions in the
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, thus threatening not only Ukrainian civilians
but also European security.

If Russia manages to defeat and successfully occupy all or most of Ukraine, the
highly militarised country would pose a vastly increased threat also to the rest
of Europe. As far back as 1994, Putin has talked of land beyond Russia’s border
as land “that historically always belonged to Russia”. In 2023, the former
Russian president and current deputy chair of the Russian Security Council,
Dmitri Medvedev, threatened “the death of Polish statehood in its entirety”. It
is Ukraine that is standing between Russia and the rest of Europe. Supporting
Ukraine is therefore not only a moral imperative, it is also in the self-
interest of the rest of Europe.

FYEG calls on European governments and the European Union to take decisive
action to continue supporting Ukraine with humanitarian, financial, and military
aid. To that end, FYEG supports the seizing of frozen Russian state assets as
well as assets of the Russian and Belarusian elite. With the decreasing public
support for the US military protection in Europe, we can no longer rely on the
US for military support. Therefore, FYEG supports better military cooperation
amongst EU member states and with neighbouring countries.

FYEG demands the abolition of the veto power of singular states when it comes to
sanction and aid packages to ensure that Ukraine receives the desperately needed
aid.

FYEG demands swift integration of Ukraine and Moldova into the EU, which will
reinforce regional stability and unity.

FYEG welcomes the Peace Summit that was held in June in Switzerland, which aimed
to chart a course for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the
principles of the UN Charter and Ukraine’s own ‘Formula for Peace’. Peace talks
must be held on Ukrainian terms and in full respect of Ukrainian sovereignty.

After the war, Europe must support the reconstruction of Ukraine. We stand for a
reconstruction plan based on aid and not on loans, that puts at the centre of
its action the wellbeing of the citizens and not the profit of big corporations.
In the context of the reconstruction of Ukraine, we call on the OSCE to
coordinate the renewal and assessment of security treaties, especially regarding
the control of weapons (conventional and nuclear), cybersecurity, and security
of maritime and air routes.

Finally, we call for full solidarity with Ukrainian refugees. Approximately 6.5
million people have fled Ukraine. While initial reactions have been positive and
European countries have shown themselves to be welcoming, we now start to see
what we have seen time and time before: Ukrainian refugees are villainized and
used as scapegoats by politicians, such as German CDU leader Friedrich Merz who
accused Ukrainian refugees of ‘social tourism’. As FYEG, we stand unequivocally
with every displaced person. We call on Europe to provide Ukrainian refugees
with all the resources they need for their well-being and eventual support after
Ukraine wins.