Petro Poroshenko: G7 must face down Russia or suffer disaster

In 1936, when Winston Churchill cautioned that the “era of procrastination” was coming to an end and that the world was entering a “period consequences,” his warning had already gone unheeded for too long. Two years earlier, the British statesman had warned Europe about the impending peril and was dismissed as an alarmist.

The mistake would cost tens of millions of lives. Today, it is crucial not to repeat this mistake in Ukraine, which has become the primary target of Russia’s revenge for the geopolitical collapse of the Soviet Union.

Russia won’t stop its campaign of aggression unless we force its hand. The Western world needs to commit to joint action and stand together to protect its values and respect for international law. Today, like on the eve of World War II, time is against us. The violence in eastern Ukraine is taking lives every single day. Delays and soothing half-measures are not only ineffective but dangerous.

Russia’s new generation of hybrid warfare is gaining momentum. And its effects spread beyond Ukraine. The Kremlin’s tentacles are reaching for the throats of the key capitals of Europe and its transatlantic allies.

Moscow’s hybrid attacks strike on multiple fronts, with a priority on cyberspace. Those who are brave enough to cut these tentacles only find themselves under renewed attack. This recently became obvious in Ukraine. When we suspended access to social networks administered by the Russian Federation, Moscow responded with a massive and coordinated cyberattack supported by information propaganda. Russia activated its information forces, so well-known in Paris, Berlin and across the Atlantic, to protect its social media agents such as “VKontakte” or “Odnoklasniki.”

Moscow openly demonstrates its readiness to hit back at us. We now face a choice between reacting with a proportionate response or continuing to muddle through with half-measures.

The date of the G7 meeting in Italy — where leaders will discuss the complex challenges to our world order — could not be more symbolic for Ukraine.

Three years ago, on May 26, the battle for Donetsk airport began. The fierce confrontation between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia militants supported by Russia lasted for months. It also showed the world that it is possible to resist Russia’s aggression. Ukrainian soldiers proved that they are ready to pay with their lives to defend Western values such as freedom and democracy. Ukraine proved that it is a reliable stronghold of these values and that it is ready to do its part for international security. Investing in Ukraine’s security is an investment in the security of Europe and beyond.

Should we have reacted more forcefully to Russian aggression three years ago? Knowing what we know now — that the violence would cost the lives of 10,000 Ukrainians and that the Kremlin would ignore its responsibility to fulfill the Minsk agreements — the answer, in hindsight, is obvious.

[The West] should bear in mind that restoring normal relations with Moscow still runs through Kiev.

History teaches us that appeasement leads to greater aggression. The more you feed the crocodile, the hungrier it gets. Only from a position of strength can sustainable peace be defended and security and stability restored. This requires increasing Ukraine’s resilience by supporting crucial reforms and enhancing its army’s defense capabilities, including boosting its store of modern defensive weapons. This also requires the West to stay firm on sanctions against Russia and be ready to strengthen them if need be, as outlined at the G7 summit in Ise-Shima, Japan.

The G7 — a club of distinguished states and world leaders, from which Russia was expelled with disgrace — has an opportunity to clearly answer the aggressor. The Kremlin should not be able to wash the blood from its hands and escape responsibility for stealing Crimea and exporting war to the Donbass region.

If the West is serious about peace and world order, it should bear in mind that restoring normal relations with Moscow still runs through Kiev. Russia must implement the Minsk agreements, especially those terms regarding security. It must return Crimea to Ukraine and restore our country’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders. Doing anything else opens the door to disaster.

Petro Poroshenko is the president of Ukraine,

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