“The Russian Federation’s unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine is a patent and defiant violation of the most basic principles of international law, of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and of fundamental humanitarian rules and principles,” said Undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova at the extraordinary meeting on the Ukrainian crisis convened by the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies, an intergovernmental coalition united through the commitment to support the democratic values and standards laid down in the Warsaw Declaration.
Undersecretary Della Vedova recalled that last Friday Italy, in its capacity as the current President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, chaired the Committee meeting that resolved to suspend the Russian Federation from its right of representation in the Council of Europe. “We ask that Russia immediately cease its hostilities, unconditionally withdraw all the military forces and equipment from the Ukrainian territory and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its boundaries and its internationally recognized territorial waters.”
“The conflict is already provoking a humanitarian catastrophe. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed that, from the onset of hostilities, more than five hundred civilians have been killed and seven hundred thousand people have fled from the war in Ukraine to seek refuge in the neighbouring countries and that there are more than one hundred thousand internally displaced people (IDP)” said Della Vedova. He went on: “This is the time at which democratic communities must stand and show their strong solidarity with all the women, men, and children who are suffering because of this inacceptable aggression. Italy is doing, and shall continue to do, its share for a strong and united humanitarian effort.”
“We must not forget that is not a popular war in Russia. Protests against the war are already taking place in many cities in Russia. Our solidarity must also reach out to these courageous Russian citizens and their aspirations for peace and democracy,” concluded Undersecretary Della Vedova.
