Read AFUO Co-Chair Kateryna Argyrou’s powerful opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald today about US President Trump’s proposed ‘peace deal’ for Ukraine.
In the opinion piece, Kateryna condemns the proposed ‘peace deal’ and discussions between Trump and putin as a betrayal of the values Ukrainians and Australians hold dear: democracy, fairness and self-determination.
Trump’s proposed deal would force Ukraine to cede 20 percent of its territory (equivalent to Australia giving up Queensland), condemn millions of Ukrainians in the occupied territories to a life of terror and repression, and compel Ukraine to abandon its NATO aspirations. This is capitulation, not peace, and it fails justice.
As noted by Kateryna, Ukrainians and their many supporters around the world have responded with shock, horror and disbelief. It is unacceptable that:
putin should be rewarded for his illegal war;
that our world should be ruled by might, not right; and
that an indicted war criminal, who has failed to fulfil more than 200 negotiated and agreed commitments, should be trusted to agree to a ‘peace’ for Ukraine when his stated goals to destroy Ukraine have not changed.
Any peace negotiations must include Ukraine at the table; and must provide Ukraine with meaningful security guarantees.
Kateryna also calls on Australia, a steadfast ally, to continue to support Ukraine’s sovereignty. As Australians, we must ask: what shocks await us if the world is carved up into spheres of influence where ‘strongmen’ decide what they will steal and plunder, based on their political and personal interests?
The fight for Ukraine’s freedom is a fight for all of us.
You can find Kateryna’s piece in the AFUO Newsroom: afuo.org.au/media/in-the-news/
In the AFUO Newsroom, you can also find great interviews about the implications of Trump’s announcement from Chrestyna Kmetj, AFUO Board member, and Andrew Mencinsky, President of the Ukrainian Council of NSW – ОУГ НПВ
