Statement | Two Years Since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

On 24th February 2022, exactly two years ago, Russia launched its unprovoked and unjustifiable full scale invasion of Ukraine. This full scale attack was a further escalation of the ongoing conflict since February 2014, when Russia illegally occupied and annexed Crimea, later supporting separatists in the regions of Donbas and Luhansk, where the fighting was ongoing for 8 years before the escalation.

The full scale invasion has led to immense human suffering, the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, including tens of thousands of civilian casualties. Since the escalation of the war, nearly 1 800 children have been killed. It has forced many millions of Ukrainian residents to flee in search of safety, creating the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since the end of the Second World War. According to UNHCR Statistics, as of the beginning of 2024, there are 3.7 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, 6.3 million people fled the country and 14.6 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Since a few months, the war has reached a bloody stalemate, where neither side is gaining any significant advantage.The civilian population is still experiencing immense suffering, with no resolution to the conflict being feasible in the foreseeable future. In the last few months Russia has further intensified its attacks and is expected to escalate even more. Furthermore, ongoing investigations conducted by among others the ICC, show strong evidence of Russia committing war crimes and crimes against humanity including: torture, rape, unlawful deportation of children, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, executing prisoners of war, as well as many more atrocities.

We, as young Europeans, stand united in our condemnation of this flagrant violation of international law and the basic principles of human rights and sovereignty. This aggressive act has not only led to a tragic loss of life and widespread suffering among the people living in Ukraine but has also threatened the foundations of global peace and security. We believe that Ukraine has a right to restore its borders to the state under its 1992 constitution in order to protect its citizens.

We remain to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian youth, which was deprived of its right to education and a chance at creating their lives in peace. Young people not only represent the future, but also shape the present narrative, driving social change, and fostering peace-building efforts. This is why we believe that youth has a vital role to play in finding the resolution to the conflict.

For the aforementioned AEGEE-Europe:

Condemns all attacks on civilians committed by Russia;
Condemns in the strongest terms suffering brought on children and youth, who have been deprived of their education and a chance to live a happy, peaceful lives;
Applauds the continued effort and commitment towards helping Ukraine, highlighting especially the role of youth and youth organisations;
Calls for the international community, especially the EU, to strengthen its commitment towards helping Ukraine and providing necessary equipment for the defence and restoration of its sovereign territory;
Demands continued humanitarian aid for those affected by the conflict;
Demands strengthening the sanctions against Russia, to hold it accountable for its unjustifiable invasion;
Hopes for the just resolution of the conflict and future peaceful coexistence of both states, while recognizing the difficult process that needs to happen in order to achieve it.