POSITION PAPER

Countering Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and its hybrid attacks on European societies

The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine is the main geopolitical threat to European security and especially to the existence of Ukraine. The liberal youth organizations condemn this war of aggression of the totalitarian regime led by Putin. They call on the EU and its partners to support Ukraine as strongly as possible in order to win this war and restore sovereignty over its entire territory. The Russian Federation is not a reliable partner, not only since 24 February 2022, and needs to be sanctioned more drastically than ever before. In addition, its meddling in European societies by spreading disinformation undermines the democratic systems in Europe and needs to be counteracted.

Already in 2021, at the first Eastern Europe Summit, 12 liberal youth organizations from Central and Eastern Europe argued in favor of a new policy towards Russia taking the sentiments of Central and Eastern European states into account. The paper addressed the issues of geopolitics, the EU’s economic relations with the Russian Federation as well as Russian disinformation campaigns. In November 2022, 14 organizations came together to discuss these issues again, find complementary demands that consider the new situation and underline the irresistible solidarity with Ukraine.