Duane Butcher: We all need to stand together, united for Ukraine

The chargé d’affaires ad interim of the US Embassy in Bucharest Duane Butcher released a statement on the situation in Ukraine calling for support in respecting the country’ democracy and the rights of its people.

“Since last November, the people of Ukraine have been striving to define their own future. In the process, they have become a symbol of courage and peaceful change for the whole world. The international community remains united for Ukraine, respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and giving its citizens the space and the support to help them determine how their country will be run and what their choices will be”, Duane Butcher claims in his letter.

Furtheron, Butcher talks of the protests the Ukrainian people organised all throughout the winter, but the conflict managed to spread beyond the Ukrainian borders.

“This is not just about Ukraine. It is about basic principles that govern relations among nations in the 21st century. As President Obama stated in Belgium on March 26, this is a “moment of testing for Europe and the United States, and for the international order that we have worked for generations to build.” This order is based on a set of core principles that include respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Just because Russia has a deep history with Ukraine does not mean it should be able to dictate Ukraine’s future” Butcher continues.

The charge d’affairs looks hopeful for the future, when the interim government of Ukraine will hold elections for a new president. But until then, Russia is still a problem.

“Meanwhile, in Crimea, Russia has torn down and discarded the international legal order and thrown away the very notion of the rule of law. A forced, rushed, and illegal “referendum,” against the backdrop of a foreign military intervention, was used to justify a blatant land grab by a neighboring country. That precedent cannot stand. Crimea is Ukraine. The border recognized in the Ukrainian constitution is the border of sovereign Ukraine. The world has not been fooled into belief that a referendum engineered by Russia somehow justifies what is simply a land grab by force”, Duane Butcher says.

The charge d’affairs ends his statement with a call-to-action adressed to the international community, in support of the Ukrainian people.

“In the coming weeks and months, from Kyiv to Washington to Bucharest, the world must continue to stand up for the rights of brave people everywhere who stand up to a corrupt and authoritarian leader. The citizens of Ukraine have asked for our support as they come together to define their reforms and run their elections. For the sake of a Europe whole, free and at peace, we all need to stand together, united for Ukraine.”