We’ve heard this so many times. So many times we’ve had to explain that the war is a horrible tragedy for everyone living in Ukraine, and more than anything we want to achieve peace. Sustainable and fair peace. But here’s the key reason that prevents that: the Russian Federation, which continues to capture Ukrainian territories and wipe entire cities off the face of the earth. And today, the whole world can witness that.

The ceasefire conditions can hardly be called fair (20% of Ukrainian lands remain under occupation, about 16,000 prisoners of war are in Russian prisons, and postwar recovery will cost Ukraine 0.5 to 1 trillion euros). Despite this, Ukraine declares its readiness for a temporary ceasefire as the first step towards a long-term peace agreement. Russia, in contrast, demonstrates unwillingness to participate in this process. Shortly, we will hear a lot of declarations about how much Russia wants peace, but… And the “but” will be followed by a thousand reasons why even a temporary ceasefire is impossible, and why Russian troops must continue to advance in Ukraine.

We would like to see all these “anti-war left” who have spent so much time criticizing the supply of weapons to Ukraine “for the sake of peace” to finally notice the other side of the conflict. The actual culprit of why this war even began and has been going on for eleven years: is the authoritarian Russian regime. And, at the very least, to see them stop blaming the victim and criticizing weapons supplies. See them realize that capturing lands costs the lives of not only people in the military but also civilians because for civilians the war does not end when occupation begins.

We are closely watching the global political events, but we know that the real resistance to the aggressor is done by the people of Ukraine and international volunteer soldiers, including our comrades. It is their extraordinary effort that allows politicians in high offices to argue among themselves, make peace, and discuss conditions. So let’s continue to support our fighters and never forget whose side everyone who strives for real peace, not capitulation to empires, should be on today.