Ukraine-Krieg

1000 days of resistance: Ukraine fights for freedom and Europe's future

Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, Ukraine has been fighting for its existence and sovereignty – with an unprecedented level of cohesion in the society. But the price is high: millions of displaced persons, destroyed cities, systematic human rights violations and cruel terror by Russia. Now is the time for the Western partners to make clear decisions – for a victory for Ukraine and a secure future for Europe.

When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Ukrainians knew immediately that it would be a long war for the existence and sovereignty of their country – despite many negative forecasts, especially from the West, that the invaded nation would not be able to resist the powerful aggressor for long. The war, which has been going on since 2014 and took a decisive and even more brutal turn 1000 days ago, has fundamentally changed Ukraine and Ukrainian society. In the midst of war and destruction, an unprecedented sense of solidarity and will to resist emerged, surprising the world and even sceptics, and leading them to believe in Ukraine's victory.

Daily terror from Russia

At the same time, the world was shocked by Russian war crimes and the unprecedented brutality of the Russian army and leadership. Eight million internally displaced persons, six million refugees in the European Union. Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol – destroyed cities, thousands of people tortured and killed. The daily and nightly air strikes, especially on civilian infrastructure and residential buildings, even children's hospitals. The extent of the terror is hard to grasp – and yet Western partners are still hesitant to ramp up support for Ukraine to the maximum and end this war with a Ukrainian victory. The ones who suffer the most are the Ukrainians, the soldiers at the frontline, the children in the schools – the Ukrainian education activist and Walter Scheel Prize winner Halyna Tytysh will report on this in detail in her article on freiheit.org this week.

Russia has occupied about 30% of Ukrainian territory. Those in the occupied territories who have not been able to leave their homes or have not wanted to do so are subject to the arbitrariness of the Russian army. Arrests, torture, suppression of any expression of opinion and expropriation are part of everyday life in the occupied territories. Entire cities are being held hostage – the destroyed Mariupol, Melitopol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Berdiansk. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been abducted to Russia. Ukrainian prisoners of war are being tortured and killed by Russia. Tetiana Pechonchyk from the Zmina Human Rights Centre works on the topic of human rights in the occupied territories. Her article on freiheit.org will address Russia's systematic violation of human rights in Ukraine.

Reforms in the midst of war - municipalities as beacons of EU integration

In June 2022, Ukraine received the long-awaited EU candidate status. Critics say that the EU's decision to grant Ukraine this status was a purely political decision that would never have been taken in the next few years if not for the war. In any case, the Ukrainian government committed to implementing a series of comprehensive reforms, including the long-overdue reforms in the areas of justice and anti-corruption. However, the tight and very ambitious deadlines for the reforms, some of which were imposed by the government itself, are pushing all parties involved to their limits. As a result, laws are being drafted and passed by parliament that do not always meet international standards (such as the new law on the procedure for appointing constitutional judges, which was criticised by the Venice Commission), or in the drafting of which civil society or stakeholders and affected parties were not consulted.

Municipalities play a key role in the EU accession process. Without their willingness and commitment to implement EU reforms at the local level, EU integration is unthinkable. Municipalities, especially those near the front line, bear the brunt of war. Local governments have to keep communities alive and functioning, strengthen their resilience and integrate internally displaced persons, all while military conflicts are ongoing. The topic of local democracy and its strengthening in times of war was the main theme of this year's Kyiv Dialogue conference on 14 November, co-hosted by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. The decentralisation reform, which was successfully implemented before the full-scale invasion, gave the municipalities extensive powers, which are now being restricted again by martial law, the establishment of military administrations as parallel administrative structures and reforms to budgetary law. Local actors complain that they have little access to international aid funds (especially EU funds from the Ukraine Facility) and hardly any decision-making power over which reconstruction projects should be funded. Yet they know best how priorities should be set locally. Oleksandr Solontaj will report on this in his opinion piece here on freiheit.org in the coming days.

The media landscape in Ukraine has also changed dramatically in the face of the Russian attack. The war poses enormous challenges for journalists, media organisations and the government's information policy. Under martial law, media are more heavily regulated to prevent the spread of disinformation and pro-Russian propaganda. The government has banned pro-Russian parties and media platforms and created a national news service, the so-called ‘United News’ project, which enables uniform reporting across all major TV channels. While this has brought central coordination of reporting, it has also raised concerns about press freedom and diversity. Independent media are also increasingly complaining about the direct pressure that the presidential administration exerts on their editorial offices – as recently as October 2024, the most well-known Ukrainian newspaper, Ukrainska Pravda. Working as a journalist has become one of the most dangerous jobs in Ukraine due to the life-threatening reporting from the warzone. Prof. Valery Ivanov from the Academy of Ukrainian Press will report on this in the coming days on freiheit.org

Time for clear decisions

Ukraine is short of ammunition and manpower at the frontline. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have been fighting for 1000 days without a break or leave cannot carry the burden for much longer. The desperate and questionable methods of mobilisation are dividing the society. The restrictions that Ukraine's Western partners are imposing on the use of the weapons supplied are making it difficult to wage war in an efficient and targeted manner, and are unnecessarily prolonging this war. A fundamental decision must be taken immediately in the capitals of Europe and in Washington as to whether Ukraine should be allowed to win this war, and if so, the appropriate action must follow. The participants in the High-level Panel at the Kyiv dialogue conference unanimously agreed on this.

Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev said: ‘Stop drawing lines around yourself, start drawing red lines for Russia’. The calls for Taurus cruise missiles in Ukraine and the authorisation for their use on Russian territory has been around for a very long time, but outgoing Chancellor Scholz continues to refuse to deliver them. This refusal costs lives every day, because the daily air strikes are only possible because the Russian military airfields are secure. The lack of strategy with regard to Russia and its allies has also contributed to Russia's ability to wage this war for 1000 days without major damage to the aggressor.

The coming weeks and months will be decisive for Ukraine. Donald Trump's second presidency holds both risks and opportunities for Ukraine. The US president-elect is known for his unpredictability and less supportive stance towards Ukraine. Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of hope that under Trump this war might move towards a possible resolution, even if his proposals so far tend to cause head-shaking in Ukraine. However, Europe should not rely on Trump and the US, and should use this uncertainty as an opportunity to take the lead and responsibility. Responsibility for our security and future, for our values – which Ukraine is currently defending alone at the front line.