Everything the United Nations stands for is at stake in Ukraine. If the world allows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression to succeed, the consequences will extend far beyond the country’s borders.
KYIV – Since Russian tanks rolled across our borders, I have been spending my nights in a bomb shelter. The rockets keep falling, making it too dangerous to go outside. I have kept my emotions in check, but recently, with the first signs of spring appearing amid the city’s ruins, I found myself in tears.
As the distressing images from Mariupol – including a bombed maternity ward and the rubble of a theater targeted while more than a thousand people were sheltering inside – clearly show, Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging his war against Ukraine with no regard for human rights. He targets civilians with impunity, seeking to spark panic and bully us into surrender. But he has greatly underestimated the Ukrainian people’s spirit. Ordinary citizens as well as soldiers are fighting back harder than the Kremlin ever could have imagined.
The international community, united in horror, has come together in an extraordinary way. Countries have sent us weapons, humanitarian supplies, and medical aid. They have imposed sanctions on Russian financial institutions, cut off technology exports, and barred the country from international organizations.
KYIV – Since Russian tanks rolled across our borders, I have been spending my nights in a bomb shelter. The rockets keep falling, making it too dangerous to go outside. I have kept my emotions in check, but recently, with the first signs of spring appearing amid the city’s ruins, I found myself in tears.
As the distressing images from Mariupol – including a bombed maternity ward and the rubble of a theater targeted while more than a thousand people were sheltering inside – clearly show, Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging his war against Ukraine with no regard for human rights. He targets civilians with impunity, seeking to spark panic and bully us into surrender. But he has greatly underestimated the Ukrainian people’s spirit. Ordinary citizens as well as soldiers are fighting back harder than the Kremlin ever could have imagined.
The international community, united in horror, has come together in an extraordinary way. Countries have sent us weapons, humanitarian supplies, and medical aid. They have imposed sanctions on Russian financial institutions, cut off technology exports, and barred the country from international organizations.