Statement by the 21^st Congress of Yabloko, 5.04.2021

Photo by Sergei Averin/RIA Novosti

In early April, there was an exacerbation of the military confrontation in Donbass. In recent days, significant movements of military units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have been taking place.

For the eighth year in a row, the military-political conflict on the territory of Ukraine continues, and a hybrid war provoked and sponsored by Russia with the use of heavy weapons and various types of troops has been going on.

Thousands of people, citizens of Russia and Ukraine, and other states became victims of this war. People are dying every day. The work of the legal authorities has been paralysed on the territory of military actions.

These tragic events are a direct consequence of Russia’s political and military interference in the affairs of Ukraine.

The Yabloko party believes that the aggravation of the situation in Ukraine and around Ukraine is connected with a deliberate increase in political confrontation between the parties, in fact, a new stage of the hybrid “cold war”, which is turning into real hostilities. This confrontation really reflects the priorities of Russia’s foreign policies under Vladimir Putin – imperial policies as of their content and form.

These policies have already ripped Russia out of the number of modern democratic states, sets our country in opposition to the entire civilised community, and, in fact, makes Russia a rogue state, and fears of war for many people are associated with it, rather than their hopes for peace.

Russia has consistently rejected all proposals for a real peaceful settlement in Donbass aimed at demilitarization of the region, and maintains and increases its military participation there, blocks the exchange of prisoners, continues to incite hatred towards Ukraine and propaganda for war, and does not want to adopt well-known international decisions targeted at de-escalation of the conflict.

Russia’s aggressive foreign policies are directly related to the elimination of rights and freedoms, and democratic institutions within the country.

A state built on lies and violence towards its citizens pursues the same foreign policies. Russia exports unfreedom and the threat of war all over the world.

Another exacerbation of the situation around Ukraine is taking place in the situation of a continuous and long-term decline in living standards and growing discontent [of citizens] on the eve of a large parliamentary election campaign in Russia, which will result in the formation of a parliament, during which term of office the presidential elections in Russia will be held. We see a direct connection between the militarisation of Russia’s foreign policy with the situation and the political attitudes of the authorities inside the country.

This aggravation of the situation is accompanied by strengthening of the state propaganda for war, militarisation of public consciousness, and poisons the entire atmosphere in the country. It is in the atmosphere of military hysteria that the Russian authorities intend to conduct a nationwide election campaign.

The Yabloko party considers the policy towards militarisation of Russian society to be criminal and irresponsible.

The Yabloko party warns the Russian society that Vladimir Putin’s policy may lead to a new war in East Ukraine, new deaths, destruction of the system of international relations, ousting Russia into a historical dead end, and destruction of the country’s civilisational prospects.

The Yabloko party believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin bears full political responsibility for the consequences of Russia’s militaristic foreign policies.

Nikolai Rybakov,

Yabloko Chairman

* The statement was submitted to the Congress by Lev Shlosberg, Grigory Yavlinsky and Nikolai Rybakov