LoopMe’s Post

The Ukrainian Review has published an article dedicated to the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The article focuses on how to bring millions of Ukrainians who have moved abroad back home. What are the prerequisites for such a return and what factors should we in Ukraine create through joint efforts of the state, business and civil society to make our people want to return. In preparing this article, I had the opportunity to talk to a very wide audience from different countries: ✅️ Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine; ✅️ Natalka Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine; ✅️ Markus Faber, Member of the German Bundestag and a great friend of Ukraine. It's nice to see that we are all thinking in the same direction, and it gives us hope that our international partners will help us achieve much of what we have written about in this article. The text of the article is available here: https://lnkd.in/d8vAcSz4

European Union Ambassadors to the Council of Europe met with Ukrainian Ambassador Borys Tarasyuk to reaffirm the European Union's unwavering support to Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will continue our efforts to ensure the widest possible international support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. #24Feb2022 #StandWithUkraine #OneEurope

On August 23, 1989, nearly two million people across the Baltic states of #Estonia, #Latvia, and #Lithuania joined hands to form a continuous human chain spanning 650 kilometers from Tallinn to Vilnius. This peaceful protest, known as the Baltic Way, was the largest demonstration in the history of the Baltics and a pivotal moment in the region’s struggle for independence from the Soviet Union. Thirty-five years later, the #BalticWay remains a powerful symbol of solidarity, courage, and the unwavering pursuit of freedom. The impact of the Baltic Way was profound. It highlighted the Baltic states’ determination to break free from Soviet rule and helped galvanize international support for their cause. The event also set the stage for significant political changes in the region. In Lithuania, Sąjūdis campaigned on a platform of full independence and won a landslide victory in the country’s first open elections in early 1990. Just months after the Baltic Way, on March 11, 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare its independence. The significance of the Baltic Way has been recognized globally. In 2009, documents related to the event were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, acknowledging their importance in documenting this pivotal moment in history. As we commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way, Lithuania and our people continue to support Ukraine in their resilience and fight against the aggressor for the freedom and independence. #StandWithUkraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania | #StandWithUkraine

🌍 **ENLARGEMENT / Ukraine's accession negotiations with the EU officially open** 🇺🇦🇪🇺 On June 25 in Luxembourg, **the EU accession negotiations with Ukraine** were officially launched. As a reminder, Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022, a few days after the Russian invasion, and obtained candidate country status in June 2022. In December 2023, EU leaders decided that accession negotiations with the country could begin. 🔍 **Screening process** The **screening process** will now start and will last several months. Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Enlargement, said: "The process will allow us to identify the issues to be addressed during the negotiations and the areas where preparation needs to be intensified." ⚠️ **Preparation and Obstacles** This preparation time will also help to bypass the obstacle posed by the **Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU** (second half of 2024). Hungary has announced that "the question of opening chapters (of accession negotiations) will not be addressed at all" during its presidency. #Ukraine #EU #Accession #Negotiations #Europe #Enlargement #Politics #International

https://lnkd.in/gedzaa6G The European idea has brought Ukrainians and Poles closer. A vibrant civil society developed in Ukraine in the 21st century, based on an idealised view of European democracy and prosperity, but also memories of the very real abuses of power in the former USSR. Since 2014 Ukraine has forged close social, cultural, economic and political ties with its European Union neighbours. Before February 2022 well over a million Ukrainian citizens lived and worked in Poland. The Ukrainian armed struggle to remain in Europe and the arrival of refugees has now mobilised Polish civil society on an unprecedented scale. Putin harks back to a political system based on ethnic divisions, but his invasion has only made it more difficult to imagine the future of the European community without Ukraine. #Ukraine #Poland #Russia #europeanunion

I encourage you to read the newsletter if you: 1. Don't want to waste 2 hours listening to Tucker Carlson's interview with Putin. In the newsletter, I added some reality checks, propaganda references and a book recommendation that explains Russia's behavior after 2010-2012 and its main propagandistic claims. 2. Need a short summary on the Middle East: you can expect an outline of the ceasefire talks for Gaza, and some notes on the Houthis and US strikes against Iranian-backed militias. Interestingly, Iran officials declared that they have been in contact with their US counterparts, so that the conflict between Hezbollas and Israel does not escalate. 3. Want to know what is going on elsewhere in the world, from US elections and foreign aid bill, to elections in Pakistan, El Salvador or Senegal (or lack of). Read and subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/dNBTyycr #internationalnews #ukraineaid #gaza #putininterview

On January 22, we honor the 105th anniversary of the Unification Act of 1919, when two Ukrainian republics united into one state.The Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR) and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic (ZUNR) were two states that emerged from the collapse of Russia and Austria-Hungary in 1918. This act showed our desire for a free and independent Ukraine, and rejected Russian lies about our nation. Today, we remember our ancestors and heroes who fought for our unity and freedom. We also work together to build a democratic, prosperous, and European Ukraine that respects all its citizens. #dayofunityofukraine #StandWithUkraine #SupportUkraine

◾ A court in Russia has found #Finland guilty of genocide in East #Karelia in 1941-1944. ◾ «We Will Crush the White #Finnish Serpent» is a genuine example of barks of hate vis-à-vis Finland. ◾ There's always some cunning plan behind Russians' idiotic acts. Russians have pulled off yet another international absurdity, accusing Finland of committing genocide in #Karelia. Let's use an old booklet as an aid to examine the Russians' vocabulary and the background of their hysteria, writes Juku-Kalle Raid, editor-in-chief of #KesKus and member of the Riigikogu foreign affairs committee (#Estonia 200). The events of the Winter War still haunt Russia, and from time to time the painful memory of the beating surfaces like a stinking abscess or a furuncle on one's buttock. Yes, we know that in fact Russia won the Winter War – Finland had to make significant concessions, lost more than a tenth of its territory, tens of thousands of people were «freed» of their homes, and the fate of the Finns, Karelians, Ingrians and others who remained on the Russian side proved anything but sweet. As always with Russia – killings, deportations, persecution, etc. But reality still speaks in favor of Finland when it comes to this war: the Russians were humiliated like cats peeing in the house, it is an immense shame when a sparsely populated micro-state can essentially choke the hell out of the global giant state. A complete miscalculation by Russians The war began when the Soviet Union attacked the Republic of Finland on November 30, 1939 without a declaration of war. The Winter War lasted 105 days and ended on March 13, 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty; the war became well known all over the world because it was the coldest winter of the century and the Russian side suffered huge losses. The Soviet fools arrogantly believed, as always, that the attack would last perhaps a couple of weeks. Just like in Ukraine, where they were confident that they would be in Kyiv in five days' time, met by grateful Ukrainians handing them flowers, vodka, chocolate, washing machines and watches. And they will put their own people in power. Nothing of the kind! The Winter War is like a nasty blister on the butt of Putin's Russia – it itches, and every now and then, the Russians scratch this scab open again, in quite a ridiculous manner. In Finland, too, the Russians took a beating. Their losses were many times greater than those of the Finns. And most importantly, Finns emerged in the eyes of the world as a heroic people who dared, and wanted, to fight for their freedom, even though they were minuscule in size compared with the enemy. Today, Ukrainians have become a heroic people. The Russians were so shocked by all of this that the humiliating shock has not left them to this day. Finns.https://https://lnkd.in/ddKQqEsR

Is the question of whether Ukraine wins the key question? No. It's about how we, in Europe, stand up for what matters to us - our freedom, our democracy, our values. It's about our willingness to support, militarily, economically, and with unwavering attention. #standwithukraine #ukraine #europe