Statement regarding Ukraine - March 2022
The Disarmament and Security Centre strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s invasion of its neighbour, Ukraine, and the order by President Vladimir Putin to place Russian Nuclear Forces on high alert. This invasion by Russia violates both international law and the UN Charter, and only serves to make our world less safe.
The violence we are seeing wrought upon the people of Ukraine is senseless and deplorable. It is civilians who are now suffering the most for a failure of political leadership to promote peaceful co-existence. Russia and the US/NATO Alliance have instead spent decades funding increased militarisation and the build-up of weapons in the region.
The threat of nuclear escalation neither protects nor defends people, it only raises the risk of creating global suffering and catastrophe. Armed conflict and militarisation are failures of politics and humanity.
We urge the international community to recommit to peace and to the international frameworks for disarmament.
Further reading:
End War, Build Peace - Opinion piece by Ray Acheson of Reaching Critical Will.
ICAN Statement condemning Russia's Invasion.
Statement by New Zealand to the Conference on Disarmament.
Ukraine: Countries request ICC War Crimes Inquiry - Human Rights Watch.
