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UKRAINE - WAR IS MADNESS!

This is unacceptable madness. The very idea that we must go back to a war in Europe is a real madness.

All those in charge of the European Union and international politics are called to act with determination to stop the crisis in Ukraine from leading to a new war that would have devastating consequences for the whole world. It would be a very dangerous historical regression.

Let Europe immediately say a clear word: No more war in Europe! And act accordingly.

There is no possibility of defending human rights or resolving crises by moving tanks, soldiers, ships and warplanes.

This is the time to declare peace and not war!

With war, a humanitarian catastrophe and an energy and economic crisis of enormous and uncontrollable proportions would be unleashed on us all.

With war, all will be lost. With peace everything is still possible.

The European Union is a peace project. No process of political or military enlargement can take place at the expense of life and peace. The European Union must tackle at the root all the problems that for a long time have crossed and affected Ukraine and its eastern borders. The main objective must be the patient and persistent construction of peace and security from the Atlantic to the Urals also through a real process of disarmament.

At the same time, it is necessary to recognize that the escalation in Ukraine is an expression of the serious prolonged deterioration of international relations and the equally serious weakening of international institutions. Europe must work to change course: without respect for international law, without democratization and the relaunch of political dialogue and cooperation at all levels, it will be impossible to defend human rights and effectively address the many crises that loom. It is not possible to wage war and, at the same time, to promote the realization of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. It is no longer permissible for the security of states to continue to prevail over human security.

For the EU, for its history, for its values, for its citizens, International Human Rights Law is the compass for the solution of the conflict in Ukraine.

Wars launch criminal consequences create a vicious circle: war invites war. For the circle to break, the military attributes of the nation-states need to disappear; democratic structures of world government are established; the collective security system envisaged by the United Nations Charter is put into operation. The Lisbon Treaty expressly states that "the Union promotes multilateral solutions to common problems, particularly within the United Nations. ... The Union works to ensure a high level of cooperation in all areas of international relations in order to: ... preserve peace, prevent conflicts and strengthen international security, in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Charter of United Nations, ... "(art. 21).

Flavio Lotti, Tavola della pace (Table for peace)

Marco Mascia, Center for Human Rights “Antonio Papisca” – University of Padua

January 26, 2022