Independence is not a choice you make once and for all.
Independence is a challenge you accept again and again.
Because independence is worth fighting for.
Happy Ukraine’s Independence Day! 🇺🇦
87 years ago on this day, the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, a.k.a. the Hitler–Stalin Pact, was much more a Soviet-Nazi treaty of common aggression against Europe than the declared “treaty of non-aggression.” On 23 August 1939, the Third Reich and the USSR officially agreed to start WWII. #CorrectingWrongHistoricalLabels
Lavrov in Moscow: lies about a “thousand-year history of the Russian state” to justify Russia’s war and steal Ukraine’s history.
Lavra in Kyiv: has stood as a center of Christianity and a living symbol of Ukrainian statehood since before Moscow existed.
In the context of the escalation of the war in Ukraine following the invasion by the Russian Federation, @UNESCO condemns the reported strike on 15 June that hit the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, within the World Heritage property “Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”, one of Ukraine’s most significant spiritual and cultural landmarks.
The strike reportedly caused significant damage to the exterior and interior of the Dormition Cathedral. Adjacent historic structures, including elements of the Lavra’s fortification complex and Ivan Kushnik Tower, were also reportedly impacted.
#UNESCO condemns attacks against cultural property, educational institutions, students, education personnel and media professionals protected under international law. Damage to such institutions deprives communities of access to culture, education, and shared spaces that are essential for recovery and social cohesion.
UNESCO stands ready to support relevant authorities in assessing damage to cultural and educational institutions and identifying urgent measures within its mandate.
https://t.co/XrGIIaTS0f
By allowing Russian and Belarusian flags to be displayed at the Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee has already turned a celebration of dignity into a false-flag operation for aggressor regimes.
We are grateful to all countries that have taken a principled position not to attend the Opening Ceremony. This is what solidarity in defending dignity looks like.