The following statement of solidarity with the Ukrainian people from APC member BlueLink was delivered by Pavel Antonov, managing editor of the organisation, live from a civic demonstration in front of the Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria. It was originally published on the BlueLink.net website.
I am in front of the Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia, where Ukraine, Russia and other European countries have expressed solidarity with the Ukrainians and the Ukrainian people against what is happening in Russia at the moment, which can be described in one word: war! A war against a nation and a state in Europe that have chosen their European democratic path of development.
BlueLink Foundation, of which I am managing editor and co-founder, has written in its statute more than 20 years ago that it supports and disseminates the values of United Europe. These values include equality, democracy and the right of people to choose in which direction to develop.
It is unacceptable for all of us in Europe for a satrap from a neighboring country to impose his distorted image and personal interests on the whole democratic free world with methods from the 19th century.
It is impossible to accept this! The attack is on Ukraine, on humanity, on democracy. The attack is on Europe. Because Europe will bear the heavy prices of energy, Europe will bear the waves of refugees, Europe will bear the instability. But Europe must do so with the clear feeling that this is our duty, our vision as Europeans.
Our organization, the civil network BlueLink, has already established links with civil society organizations in Ukraine. We are looking for ways to support them and spread their needs.
Regardless of what is happening now and in the coming hours in Kyiv and other hotspots, where, as we understand, people are currently dying. We continue and remain true to our mission. We will also seek links with our partners in Europe, including European Union networks. Because a great responsibility for resolving this conflict lies in the hands of the European institutions, European governments and EU countries. Their determination – or lack of determination – is currently the main factor that can solve or deepen the problem.
We stay on the line. Our hotspots and processes will follow both in Bulgaria and in the other countries of the European Union.
More information on the topic can be found in the interview of Pavel Antonov with Maxim Kiyak, Coordinator for International Policies in the NGO ANTS - Network for the Protection of National Interests.