Clear, principled condemnation of Russia for attempt to annex Ukrainian territory, tough sanctions needed for it to be utterly different from what happened in 2014 – Zelensky

KYIV. Oct 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – On international platforms, a clear and principled condemnation of Russia for this attempt to annex Ukrainian territory is needed, for it to be utterly different from what happened in 2014, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in his video address to the Australian Lowy Institute.

The head of state said that on September 30 the Russian president announced the purported annexation of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, which was Russia’s new attempt to repeat the events of 2014, when it annexed Crimea.

"Russia is trying to put the international community in such conditions now that the reaction to yet another Russian crime against international law does not correspond to its severity in the same way as it did then – with Crimea. In 2014, we did not see, for example, really tough sanctions against Russia. It was not punished for this crime. At that time, there was a very strong desire among many in the world to turn a blind eye to the annexation, to consider the war simply a "crisis" and to continue relations with Russia," Zelensky said.

He stressed that, "when a criminal does not receive an adequate punishment for a crime he has committed, he perceives it as permission for further criminal acts. "They are weak," is how the aggressor reacts when he feels no response."

Zelensky noted that Putin chose a very symbolic date to start this attempt to annex the Ukrainian territories – September 30.

"This day takes us back 84 years in the history of Europe and the world. It was on this day that another aggressor – yet so similar to this one – succeeded in signing the Munich Agreement. Also to annex someone else’s land. Now we remember that agreement more often under the name of the "Munich conspiracy" and consider it an example of political cynicism and a fatal mistake. A mistake that cost humanity tens of millions of lives. But after the signing of "Munich", such evaluations sounded different. They even said that the agreement would give peace to the generation at that time," he said.

In different countries and with different voices, the thesis that it is possible to simply agree that the aggressor has seized something is heard again, Zelensky said.

"But this thesis sounds nothing but the year 2014 – the mistakes of the then leaders. It sounds like 1938. It only says that the criminal can go unpunished. And so, with the temptation to continue. Be sure – the head of Russia is now carefully analyzing the world’s reaction to the sham referenda he organized on Ukrainian soil and to the announcement of the annexation of our territory. What exactly is he interested in? It’s simple: he is interested in whether he still has the potential for escalation," Zelensky said.

"If the world’s reaction is weak now, Russia will come up with some new escalation," he said, adding that the range of criminal actions of Russia is very wide – missile terror, mass murders, criminal deportations, radiation blackmail and energy crisis, etc.

"Strength is needed to finally put an end to aggression – to the aggressor’s ability to escalate. On international platforms, a clear and principled condemnation of Russia for this attempt to annex Ukrainian territory is needed, for it to be utterly different from what happened in 2014," the president said.

He also stressed that at the level of states and unions of states, new and tough sanctions against Russia are needed so that the situation is also dramatically different from 2014. At the level of cooperation with Ukraine, regular and demonstrative support packages are needed, primarily defensive and financial, so that the aggressor sees that his criminal actions only complicate the situation for him.

"We have a historic opportunity to set a precedent that will make the history of aggression truly history and that will teach any aggressor that no crime against international law will ever again remain unpunished," Zelensky said.

Next week, a resolution on non-recognition and condemnation of Russia’s new attempt to annex our territories will be submitted to the UN General Assembly, he said.

"I am asking you, I am asking Australia to use all its influence to persuade as many countries as possible not to remain neutral and to vote for – for international law and against Russian annexation," the president said.

He also stressed that the more weapons and ammunition Ukraine receives, in particular, artillery, drones, anti-aircraft defense, anti-tank and anti-ship weapons, the more tangible the responsibility for violation of international law will be for Russia and the less the aggressor will feel that he supposedly has room for escalation. He also thanked Australia for providing Ukraine with bushmasters.

Zelensky called on Australia to strengthen sanctions against Russia for holding the sham referenda in Ukraine so that "the price of such actions must be tangible, the consequences – devastating".