- Published: 23.02.2023.
Let's not make Ukraine wait for freedom as long as Croatia did
Grlić Radman reflected on the first anniversary of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, calling it a blatant violation of international law by a permanent UN member state that is bound to have long-lasting implications for the UN.
“We must not remain silent in the face of those who destroy and violate the most fundamental human and sovereign rights of states. We owe it to our countries, our citizens and all those who are to come. If we fail now, not only will our present look grim, but the costs of our failure will pass on to future generations,” the minister underlined.
He compared the situation in Ukraine to Croatia’s Homeland War, adding that the Croatian people know too well what Ukraine is going through and expressing deepest sympathies with the Ukrainian people.
“The courage and determination of the Ukrainian people stands in the way of the aggressor. Our fight for liberty took four long years. Let us not make Ukraine wait that long for freedom. We stand by Ukraine and its people and we will continue to support them in their right to defend themselves and the UN Charter,” Grlić Radman stressed.
In addition, he called for cooperation in determining responsibility for crimes committed in Ukraine and applauded the measure of the ICJ ordering Russia to suspend the so-called “special military operation” immediately.
Concluding his address, Grlić Radman expressed strong support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders, underscoring that a lasting and just peace could only be based on these principles.