THE FIRST PANEL DISCUSSION “PEACE PLAN FOR UKRAINE. GLOBAL CONTEXT OF RUSSIA’S FULL-SCALE AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE” WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “CRIMEA GLOBAL. UNDERSTANDING UKRAINE THROUGH THE SOUTH”
Within the framework of the international conference “Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the south”, the first panel discussion “Peace Plan for Ukraine. The global context of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine”.
The discussion was moderated by Olha Aivazovska, Head of the Board of the Civil Network OPORA, co-founder of the International Center for Ukrainian Victory. Other speakers included Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva, Colombian journalist Catalina Gomez Angel, Director of the Center for European Studies at the University of Chile Paulina Astroza, speaker from Qatar, Dr. Omar Ashour, Professor of Security and Military Studies at the Doha Institute of Postgraduate Education, Dr. Dino Patti Jalal, founder and chairman of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia (2014) and Ambassador of Indonesia to the United States (2010-2013), and Dr. Greg Mills, a representative of South Africa, Director of the Branhurst Foundation, joined the discussion online.
At the beginning, Ihor Zhovkva emphasized the falsity of the widespread claim that Ukraine allegedly does not want peace, in contrast to Russia. The Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine emphasized that the Ukrainian side wants peace, but not on the terms offered by Russia, because the aggressor needs a freeze in the conflict. This pause is necessary for Russia to recuperate and regroup, and to resume aggression after some time. Mr. Zhovkva emphasized that Ukrainians are well aware of this, which is why the President of Ukraine proposed a Formula for Peace, which envisages not only Ukraine’s victory on the battlefield, but is also based on the need to deprive the aggressor of the tools to continue waging war and unleashing new conflicts.
In addition, Mr. Zhovkva reminded about the second point of the Peace Formula, which is food security. This aspect is especially important for the countries of the Global South, as Russia is blocking the seaports through which grain is exported to Africa and Asia. Mr. Zhovkva called for a united effort to help Ukraine unblock the ports.
Ihor Zhovkva also emphasized the importance of the nuclear safety clause in President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula and stressed the environmental hazard posed by Russia’s aggression. Mine clearance of the Black Sea is an issue of international importance, so it is very important to involve not only European states but also countries of the Global South in this process.
Summarizing, Mr. Zhovkva noted that it is necessary to organize a Global Peace Summit, and it is important to do so at the level of state leaders to initiate the final defeat of Russia as soon as possible.
The next speaker was Ms. Catalina Gomez Angel, who has repeatedly visited Ukraine and, unfortunately, witnessed Russian aggression during the occupiers’ terrorist attack on Kramatorsk in the summer of 2023. Ms. Catalina emphasized the important role of journalism in spreading the word of truth about the war that Russia has started against Ukraine, stressing that journalists should not just report, but show the story of this war on behalf of the military and on behalf of ordinary people who suffer from Russian military aggression.
In addition, Ms. Gómez Ángel referred to the Colombian experience in resolving armed conflicts, noting that the experience of her home country is significantly different from Ukraine’s, but she is personally impressed by the unity of civil society in Ukraine.
Dr. Omar Ashour began his speech by stating that strategically, Russia has already been defeated, noting the courage and cohesion of Ukrainians in achieving the key goal of Ukraine’s victory.
In addition, Dr. Ashour positively assessed Ukraine’s prospects of joining NATO, noting that “not only does Ukraine need NATO, but Ukraine needs NATO”, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces are currently one of the strongest armies in Eastern Europe.
Dr. Ashour also noted that the methods used by Russia in its attempted annexation of Crimea are very similar to those used by ISIS. They are based on destabilizing the situation in the territory they plan to seize. Dr. Omar Ashour returned to the previous part of the discussion on Colombia, noting that Ukraine, after the liberation of the temporarily occupied territories, will have to deal with people who have been exposed to propaganda for a long time, so Colombia’s experience in deradicalization of the population can be useful for Ukrainians.
Ms. Paulina Astroza, representative of Chile, analyzed the dynamics of changing positions of different Latin American countries on Russia’s war against Ukraine, noting that the war began in 2014 with the occupation of Crimea, and Chile was one of the first Latin American countries to condemn Russia’s actions almost 10 years ago. According to Ms. Astroza, Latin American countries respect international law and peace must be established, but not at any cost.
Dr. Dino Patti Djalal noted that after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for some time in their perception it might have looked like a “clash between the West and Russia,” but it was not. And that is why it is important to engage the countries of the Global South in the discussion.
Dr. Djalal emphasized that Ukraine should take into account the anti-Western narratives that are prevalent in some countries of the Global South. Dr. Djalal believes that the key to developing a dialogue with the countries of the Global South is the thesis that Ukraine is only defending itself, not seeking to conquer other people’s territories.
Dr. Djalal also emphasized that Ukraine is a friend of the Global South, as it supplies both grain and fertilizers, which are vital for countries that are sensitive to changes in the global economy.
Dr. Greg Mills from the Republic of South Africa joined the discussion via video link, presenting the African perspective on the situation in Ukraine.
Dr. Greg Mills emphasized that in most African countries, the position of the people does not always coincide with the official position of their authorities on the situation in Ukraine. While government officials may support Russia or take a neutral position, African citizens remain on the side of Ukraine.
Dr. Greg Mills emphasized that in most African countries, the position of the people does not always coincide with the official position of their authorities on the situation in Ukraine. While government officials may support Russia or take a neutral position, African citizens remain on the side of Ukraine.
The African continent is home to countries that are most susceptible to food crises, so many countries take a neutral position, as the continuation of the war in Ukraine will only deepen their own problems. That is why support for Ukraine in Africa is growing, as continuation of the war is not in the economic interests of African countries.
At the end of the discussion, Mr. Zhovkva expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the Global Rooster countries who joined the conference and supported the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine. It is only through joint efforts that victory over Russia is possible. Once all those involved in war crimes and Russian aggression in Ukraine are punished and held accountable, a new security order in the world will be possible.