The United States and Russian administrations met yesterday in Alaska to discuss a ceasefire and the parameters of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. In reaction to this summit, Oxfam Ukraine Response Director Nicola Bay said:
“No decision about an end to this war can be legitimate without Ukrainian voices at the center. What Ukrainians need is just and lasting peace. What the world needs is for international laws designed to protect civilians from the devastating impact of war to be upheld without compromise. Without these protections, we risk further eroding the safety of civilians and setting a dangerous precedent wherein powerful states will be emboldened to redraw borders or strip away sovereignty at will.
“Oxfam welcomes the agreement for further discussions next week. We caution against any further political dialogue that excludes Ukrainian voices and treats their land as a bargaining chip, as it undermines international laws on sovereignty and territorial integrity, and risks triggering another wave of attacks that will plunge Ukrainians, already enduring over three years of war, into deeper suffering and uncertainty.”