Kaja Kallas Urges Peace Advocates to Support Ukraine, Not Moscow
Diplomats from the European Union congregate in Lviv for a World War II commemoration event - Diplomats from the European Union convene in Lviv for World War remembrance ceremony
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas threw some serious shade when she advised all those craving peace to head to Ukraine, not Russia's capital. She made this bold statement ahead of the traditional military parade in Moscow on May 9th, implying that peace seekers should steer clear of the Russophile festival.
Kallas' call may be interpreted as a stance against ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. In essence, she underscored that genuine peace efforts should be focused where the aggression occurs, and that's clearly Ukraine, not the heart of the aggression—Moscow. This perspective suggests that genuine peace cannot be attained without accountability and justice for the alleged crime of aggression by Russia's leadership, a crime of immense gravity not only in war crimes committed by Russian troops but also in the initiation and perpetuation of the war itself.
Kallas's position echoes the EU’s broader dedication to a comprehensive, just, and everlasting peace grounded in international law, and their call for a full, unconditional ceasefire. Kallas emphasized that reducing hostilities in Ukraine through such a ceasefire would help alleviate civilian suffering and clear the path for genuine peace talks. But, ultimately, the path to peace hinges on Russia’s will to halt aggression. Hence, her assertion elucidates the division between the aggressor state’s leadership actions in Moscow and the locus of peace efforts and resistance in Ukraine.
In essense, Kaja Kallas's declaration serves to highlight that true peace advocacy should side with upholding Ukraine’s sovereignty and justice pursuits, rather than with the Russian leadership in Moscow, which she and the EU hold responsible for the war's inception and continuation. This stance underscores the EU's opinion that peace necessitates ending Russian aggression and ensuring accountability for it.
European Union's foreign minister, Kaja Kallas, called upon peace advocates to support Ukraine instead of Moscow, particularly during the Moscow military parade on May 9th, suggesting that genuine peace efforts should be targeted towards Ukraine, the epicenter of the aggression. Andrij Sybiha, a representative from the EU, noted this stance as a reflection of the EU's commitment to a lasting peace grounded in international law and a full, unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. In light of this, Kallas's position also signifies the EU's stance against Russia's alleged crime of aggression, which initiated and continues the second world war-like conflict. This commemoration in Lviv, Ukraine, is a reminder of the importance of supporting Ukraine in its pursuit of peace, justice, and sovereignty.
