Opinion | A year on, nations must stand united against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
- One year into Putin’s act of aggression, UN members must support the resolution to condemn the war on Ukraine. Asian leaders in particular need to stand up and be counted
I studied in Ukraine as a young man, and have a deep and abiding connection with the Ukrainian people. They have impressed the world with their resilience and determination to defend their country. The strength of their resistance shows the depth of their commitment to liberty, dignity and justice.
Ukraine’s fight is not just a battle for its existence as a sovereign, democratic state and for the freedom of its people. It is a fight for the rules-based international order that has governed since the 1945 defeat of fascist imperialism.
The values at the heart of the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, are not uniquely “Western”, as some critics would claim.
They belong to us all, from Asia and Africa to Latin America and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Those who deny these rights – through domestic oppression or foreign aggression – act against our common global interest.
