Credit: Jazmin Campbell/Chronicle.lu
On Friday 24 February 2023, on the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Luxembourg Government issued an official statement in which it reiterated its "unwavering" support for Ukraine and its condemnation of Russia's "unprovoked aggression".
The statement, issued on Friday by Luxembourg's Ministry of State and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, reflected on how Russia launched an "illegal and unjustified war" against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, thus marking "the return to Europe of a large-scale war that our continent had not seen since the end of the Second World War."
"On this sad anniversary, the government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg pays tribute to the many innocent victims of this conflict which had no reason to exist and for which Russia bears full responsibility," the statement continued. "In these tragic hours, we reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine and its people who are fighting bravely to preserve their independence and territorial integrity. By opposing Russian aggression, Ukraine is also defending security in Europe."
The government statement went on to draw parralels between the current war against Ukraine and the two (German) invasions of Luxembourg during the First and Second World Wars, noting that the Grand Duchy will "never settle for a world in which might takes precedence over right". The Luxembourg Government called out Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the "illegal annexation" of Ukrainian territories (including that of Crimea in 2014) as "gross violations of Ukraine's fundamental rights to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, enshrined in international law and, in particular, the Charter of the United Nations".
The government went on to strongly condemn Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians and the "deliberate destruction of essential infrastructure" in Ukraine (schools, hospitals, energy installations, etc.), describing such acts as "unacceptable" war crimes that "must not go unpunished".
The Luxembourg Government recalled how the country and its people have shown solidarity with Ukraine since the first day of the Russian invasion, adding that the Grand Duchy will continue to provide "substantial assistance" to Ukraine to "enable it to exercise its right of self-defence". Luxembourg will also help Ukraine deal with the humanitarian and economic consequences of the war and to meet its "significant needs in terms of mine clearance and post-conflict reconstruction".
Moreover, the Luxembourg Government saluted the bravery of the Ukrainian people who "defend their freedom, their identity and their culture every day, thus demonstrating their attachment to the fundamental values on which Europe was built". The Grand Duchy reiterated its support for the process of Ukraine's accession to the European Union (EU).
Concerning Ukrainian refugees, the government noted that Luxembourg has "assumed its responsibilities by offering immediate protection" to people fleeing the war and praised the solidarity of all other countries, organisations, municipalities and individuals who "unfailingly and tirelessly support refugees fleeing the horrors of war".
The Luxembourg Government also emphasised the need to prosecute those responsible for war crimes against Ukraine, in order to restore peace and justice. In this context, Luxembourg will continue to support ongoing work (e.g. that carried out by the International Criminal Court) to investigate such war crimes as well as to support the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine (to be established in agreement between Ukraine and the United Nations).
"In the dark hours when weapons alone speak, peace can seem distant and chimerical. But the guns will be silent one day. We remain determined to support the path of rebuilding a peaceful, sustainable and prosperous world, based on respect for international law and multilateralism," the government statement concluded.
