In the early hours of the 24th of February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine after a national broadcast on state television. He announced that the separatist-held regions of Donetsk and Luhansk had called on Russia for help, and this requires a “special military operation” to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine. Shortly after the broadcast, Russian missiles began to hit targets across Ukraine.
Today marks a dark day in Europe’s history, as we witness the invasion of a democratic European state by an authoritarian regime that refuses to respect the sovereignty of its neighbours. Russia’s invasion defies the calls against military action expressed by the European Union, United States, and NATO in recent weeks. This invasion jeopardises the safety of the Ukrainian people, and their democratic and legitimate institutions.
JEF Malta wishes to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine, while firmly condemning this military invasion. We also wish to highlight the importance of an effective EU Common Foreign and Security Policy. In response to this crisis, we hope that our European leaders reflect on the effectiveness of the CFSP and begin to assess ways to improve it to facilitate a faster and unified response to threats to European security.