Mediators increase efforts to gain a cease-fire in Gaza before more innocent civilians are harmed. Today also marks the two year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
OPINION
Anniversaries, good or bad, tend to be moments of reflection. What has been achieved in that time? What has changed? As the British High Commissioner to New Zealand, I found myself reflecting on a sombre anniversary over the weekend as we marked two years since Russia’s full-scaleinvasion of Ukraine.
People in Ukraine the last two years have borne a toll that few of us can imagine. Families devastated. Cities levelled. Lives irrevocably changed.
Russia abandoned any pretensions of being a responsible global power by opting to break the most fundamental of international rules and seeking to conquer its neighbour’s territory. Turning to Iran and North Korea for military support is a sign of how far Russia’s standing has been damaged.
While the war in Ukraine can seem distant here in New Zealand, it has had profound implications across the globe from spiralling fuel and food costs to undermining worldwide stability, which depends on nation states operating within international law.
Ukrainian serviceman Roman (right) hugs his wife Ludmila at the railway station in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine. Photo / AP
Daria Morris of Kyiv, Ukraine, joins a rally at the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, marking two years since Russia's full scale war and invasion of Ukraine. Photo / AP
The invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s attempts to redraw international boundaries by force was not merely an affront to one nation’s sovereignty; it was an assault on the principles that have underpinned the international order since World War II. Vladimir Putin’s contempt for those principles has only been highlighted by the actions of his coercive, authoritarian regime. As President Joe Biden put it, the death of Alexei Navalny is outrageous yet unsurprising.
I am proud of the work that the United Kingdom and our partners have done to stand against that aggression, and of the way that New Zealand’s government and people have supported Ukraine.
It has not been the easy route, but it has been the right one.
The UK has provided close to $14.5 billion to support Ukraine, which includes an extra $2.5b in military spending for 2024/25. The United Kingdom also hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference last year where partners committed a further $60bn to meet recovery and reconstruction needs. We have trained 60,000 Ukrainian personnel and provided more than 8,000 rounds of ammunition for the Challenger 2 tanks Britain has donated.
We have introduced the largest and most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on Russia or indeed any major economy. The UK has sanctioned over 1700 individuals and entities since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
People holds photos of those who died in the war during a protest marking the two-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in Vilnius, Lithuania. Photo / AP
New Zealanders can take pride in the role this country has played supporting Ukrainians to defend their home. The work of Operation Interflex, the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Salisbury, has provided practical and important support to the war effort.
The New Zealand Government’s announcement this week of further funding and a commitment to continue training Ukrainian soldiers was also incredibly welcome.
As we reflect on this dark anniversary, we inevitably ask the question, what next? Putin expects the will of the international community to falter and that in 2024 he will achieve his goals in Ukraine by exploiting war fatigue both in Ukraine and across the globe. Morally there is only one response.
At times of crisis and growing global instability, it is more important than ever that countries like ours stand together, united in determination, sticking to the values we hold dear. To support Ukrainians to defend not just their whenua (land) and their people, but the principles which matter to every country.
We must all stand taller. That is how Ukraine will be able to win this war and emerge strong, sovereign and free. The stakes are too high and the international community must stand resolute to send a message, not just of solidarity but of ensuring that Putin’s regime does not benefit from their illegal actions
- Iona Thomas is the British High Commissioner to New Zealand
