Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's integration into the EU met with politicians and public activists from Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa. She noted that this meeting is extremely important because people on the African continent need to learn more about what is happening in Ukraine: ‘We conveyed quite successfully our messages to many countries of the world, but not so successfully to our African colleagues. And Russia uses it. When the food crisis began, which was completely caused by Russia and its war against Ukraine, Russia sent a message to African countries that Ukraine was to blame. Therefore, it is very important for us to communicate now that we are fighting in a colonial war. Many African countries know very well what does it mean’.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that since 2014, when Russia invaded Ukraine, illegally occupied Crimea and part of the eastern territories, Ukraine needed a lot of time to persuade many countries of the world that this is not a civil war, but an invasion of a neighbouring state. ‘For us, Ukrainians, only one option is possible, if we want to survive — to fight to victory. If Ukraine stops fighting, it will cease to exist. If Russia stops fighting, the war will end. Please convey this message to your societies’, she asked.

According to the Chair of the Committee, currently, unfortunately, neither Uganda nor Tanzania support Ukraine on the UN platform in its fight against Russia: ‘Therefore, we will use every opportunity to reach out to your peoples and say that we are experiencing the genocide Ukrainians. More than 2 million people were forcibly deported from Ukraine to the territory of Russia. 300,000 of them are children. They are forcibly given up for adoption to Russian families, and are given Russian citizenship. And this is a direct act of genocide'.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that Ukraine still does not know the true scale of the disaster that the occupiers brought to its land. It is impossible to count the number of victims in the territories, which remain occupied. Russians cover their tracks by using mobile crematoria. And now the occupiers are raging because part of the Ukrainian land was fought back by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They attack infrastructure facilities: ‘We understand very well that we are facing a difficult winter. That is why we are asking for support from our partners to provide us with air defense to protect our infrastructure so that we can continue to hold on’.

The Chair of the Committee is convinced that the world must understand that either Putin will be completely defeated in Ukraine and Russia will be exhausted to the point where it will no longer be able to fight anyone, or it will regroup and attack again: ‘This is an existential war. It is not just for the territory. Russia cannot accept the fact that Ukraine is a strong, independent, multicultural state that is bravely fighting for its future. We have crossed the line beyond which there is no more fear. It's about our survival’.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze appealed to her African colleagues to work with their governments and societies in order to change the opinion about Ukraine: ‘Bring information to your governments to change their position in the international arena. This will help us not only gain an advantage against Russia in the world, but also bring Russian criminals to justice in an international tribunal for war crimes in Ukraine, for crimes against humanity and genocide. This would be a good example for other countries that are also suffering. If evil is punished, then there will be hope for others’.

The Chair of the Committee also called on African colleagues to investigate where the grain that Russia brings to their countries comes from. ‘Russia steals a huge amount of grain from Ukraine and then sells it. African countries should know the truth’, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said.