Exactly four months ago, on 24 February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine. Since then, tens of thousands of people have died, hundreds of thousands have lost their family, health and possessions, and millions have had to leave their places of residence. Every day we are witnesses of another human tragedy in the media, we see another graves, another ruined buildings.
We, ordinary citizens, watch all this with a sense of helplessness. At the same time, sensitivity to the misfortune of the victims of aggression, the heroism of the defenders, and the bestiality of the attackers is dulled. The world is becoming accustomed to the barbarity of war. Images that caused shock four months ago now bring less emotion.
This is a normal human reaction, yet we must not succumb to it. Millions of people affected by the war are still in a dramatic situation and need our help and solidarity. Let us not refuse them!
The Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe assures that we will continue to support Ukraine, both by offering shelter to those who have fled the war and by providing humanitarian aid to those who remain in their homeland, as well as by implementing educational projects which give participants from Ukraine the opportunity to acquire important competencies and establish relationships with partners from other European countries. We sincerely thank all our friends whose financial support makes these activities possible.
At the same time we appeal to politicians to consistently provide Ukraine with all possible support. Russia is conducting a war of attrition. It believes that Ukraine sooner or later will not be able to withstand the growing human and economic losses, or that the West, tired of the war and concerned about its consequences, will eventually refuse further support. This cannot be allowed to happen! If this barbaric aggression, which violates the basic principles of co-existence between nations, ends with even a partial victory of Putin's criminal regime, it will not only be a defeat for Ukraine, but also for the whole world which believes in democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Its consequences could be catastrophic.
The Management Board of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe
Dorota Krajdocha, DSc Robert Żurek
