Yesterday - the 9th April - it was 82 years since Denmark was occupied by our southern neighbor, Nazi-Germany. An oppressive regime that did not respect national self-determination but wanted to impose its world order on other countries and other people.
This date - and the subsequent 5 years of Nazi occupation - has camped in the collective consciousness of the Danish people.
Among other reasons, I think this is the background of the solidarity with the Ukrainian people that we experience in Denmark. And that’s with full right.
We should never accept that one country subjugating another!
We should never accept that geopolitical and territorial disagreements are resolved with military assault and occupation.
But it’s not enough to condemn Putin’s invasion. Action is needed!
A lot has already happened. But not enough!
We all have to work to tighten the sanctions against Russia.
- Instant stop for importing oil from Russia and the end of gas imports.
- Stop for all investments in Russia.
- Freezes of all oligarchs’ income and wealth.
The right to national self-determination also includes the right to self-defense.
Therefore Ukraine must be supplied with the necessary weapons to defend itself against the occupation forces.
Although it may be difficult in the difficult situation for Ukraine, we also have to look forward. President Zelenskyj did this when a few weeks ago he spoke to the parliament and asked for help with reconstruction, when the victory one day is won and peace comes.
Help will be greatly needed for rebuilding destroyed schools, hospitals, housing blocks, factories, bridges and roads. But one more thing is needed.
At the moment, Ukraine’s foreign debt is DKK 850 billion. The annual cost of the debt is estimated at 42.3 million. Crowns. This is equivalent to about 12% of Ukraine’s state budget.
That debt was a hard burden for Ukraine before the 24. February. But after the war it will mean a suffocation of the country’s reconstruction. That is why we urge the Danish government to work for an immediate elimination of Ukraine’s debt.
War is disgusting and leads to betrayal on all sides. But the attacks on civilian residential neighborhoods, which we have seen among others in Mariupol and the brutal attacks on civilians that we have seen in, among other things, Butja is not the work of some soldiers, but systematic war crimes, which are ordered from the higher up in the system.
Therefore, it is important to ensure sufficient resources for the International War Criminal Court to collect evidence and prepare cases against anyone who has committed assault or ordered it.
In Denmark we have made a financial contribution to this work, but I have in the parliament urged the government to also send experts from Denmark who can help the war criminal court in its work.
No one should be able to escape their responsibility by hiding behind fine titles and long tables in their beautiful palaces.
At all, the person responsible for the war is needed to be confronted. President Biden said in his speech in Poland that Putin must not remain in power in Russia. Since then, the US administration has done everything they can to moderate his statement. But Biden is right! There will be no true peace and no reconciliation, as long as Putin and his kleptocrats sit in power in the Kremlin.
Imagine a negotiation or a meeting - somewhere in the world - in the future - where Putin sits at the table. This is absurd. Therefore, the Russian people are encouraging a huge task of getting rid of Putin. And the Russians who are honestly going into that fight need our support.
Let’s say it clearly from this demonstration: Putin must go!
Søren Søndergaard
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