Тhe Russian Federation is attempting to use a global pandemic to pull off an incredible scam – barter masks and medical equipment for Ukrainian lives.
In 2014, Russia invaded and seized Crimea, and then mounted an overt and vicious military aggression in eastern Ukraine that is into its sixth year. Despite repeated attempts by Ukraine, and the international community, in particular Germany and France, to negotiate a cease-fire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, including Minsk I, Minsk II and the 2020 Normandy Four Summit in Paris, the Kremlin’s military aggression continues.
In addition to the massive destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy, the human toll since 2014 has been staggering. Indeed, over 13,000 individuals have been killed and 30,000 injured, and there are over 1.5 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine.
Western democracies have understood – after witnessing Russia’s destabilization operations in the region, including the Kremlin’s occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia and the invasion of Crimea with “little green men” – that international outcries and empty condemnations were simply not enough to pressure Russia to comply with its most basic international obligations.
Indeed, the lack of a strong response from the West emboldens Vladimir Putin to be even more audacious.
Thеrefore, in response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea and the Donbas, and the Kremlin’s downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in Ukraine’s airspace, Western democracies, including the U.S., the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, imposed sanctions.
These sanctions have had an impact and slowed the Kremlin’s expansionist ambitions in Ukraine.
For its part, Russia has ridiculed these sanctions, imposed its own against Western democracies, and devised various devious strategies, including massive disinformation campaigns, to push for the lifting of sanctions against the RF.
Since 2014, the Kremlin has always been in the position to get these sanctions lifted. All it needs to do is respect the cease-fire regime in eastern Ukraine, cease the occupation of Crimea, withdraw all its troops from Ukraine and release all Ukrainian hostages.
Instead, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Russia continues to cruelly violate its cease-fire obligations on a daily basis.
That is why the Kremlin’s attempt to portray its “humanitarian side” with the gift of masks and medical equipment to countries suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, while simultaneously lobbying for the easing of international sanctions that are in place for its obstinate military aggression against Ukraine, is extremely duplicitous.
The international community must not be fooled by the the Kremlin’s powerful propaganda campaign and resist calls from high-placed, and priced, Putin apologists for the removal of sanctions.
Western democracies must unequivocally and firmly support the sanctions regime until the Kremlin finally meets its international commitments: stops the killing and maiming of Ukrainians, ceases the occupation of Crimea, withdraws all its troops from Ukraine and releases all Ukrainian hostages.
Eugene Czolij is president of Ukraine-2050 and was president of the Ukrainian World Congress from 2008-2018. Ukraine-2050 is a non-governmental organization to help implement within one generation strategies for the sustainable development of Ukraine as a fully independent, territorially integral, democratic, reformed and economically competitive European state.
