Liberal International has always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with those who fight for democratic principles. In Ukraine – from the country’s independence 30 years ago, via the Maidan protests in 2013 at which our former President of Honour Hans van Baalen addressed crowds of thousands over Russia’s support to and involvement in the fighting in Donbass and the illegal annexation of Crimea, to the aggressive posturing on Ukraine’s eastern border by Russia today – we have stood on the side of those who seek more freedom and the right to determine their country’s future whether in Ukraine or anywhere else.

This bureau has long championed a platform of multilateralism and we have been clear that Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked campaigns to undermine his democratic neighbours will never be tolerated. It is precisely at moments such as this that the Euro-Atlantic democracies must unite, speak, and act in one voice in defence of our shared values. We applaud the steadfast commitment of European countries and members of the NATO alliance in demonstrating their military, diplomatic, and logistical support for Ukraine.

Today Ukraine exists on the frontier of freedom and while Russia’s president has accelerated the momentum towards escalation we retain hope that conflict is not inevitable. We urge President Putin to reverse his hostile gestures and realise his international obligations by observing the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.