Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula is the glimmer of light in a grim backdrop
The Global Peace Summit should become a founding event of joined international efforts to put an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine on the terms of justice, writes Andriy Yermak.
Andriy Yermak is the chief of staff and head of office for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russia’s aggressive war on Ukraine has been a tragic and protracted chapter in modern history. I will never forget the sunbeams that once lit the altar of Odesa’s main temple – one that a Russian missile had destroyed.
People of different faiths and ethnic origins removed the wreckage – together – because it’s our country’s ethos since the beginning of time: we are different, but we are together.
Odesa, a city of over 130 nationalities, is the sister city of Jeddah, Genova, Liverpool, Marseille, Istanbul, Haifa, Gdansk, Yerevan, Chisinau, Qingdao, and Vancouver.
You wouldn’t want your sister to even imagine being subjected to something like that. But we are living in this reality, and attacks are aimed not only at our ports but the whole world.
After all, a quarter of a million tonnes of grain intended for export has been destroyed. The world has already felt this hit as wheat prices jump sharply across the world.
Ukraine’s quest for peace is not one of solitude; it is a symphony of courage, resilience, and a burning belief in independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukrainians, like all nations, hold these values to the core, and there is no compromise on them.
We in Ukraine are fighting – dying – for these shared values. At the core, we are all connected by our innate desire to be free.
The international community understands that the biggest conflict in Europe since the Second World War, currently ongoing in Ukraine, adversely affects not just Ukraine, but global security, prosperity, and environment.
Countries around the world must accept Russia’s actions for what they are – illegal and destructive – and concentrate on building a long-lasting, sustainable peace.
Some still try to argue that the invasion of Ukraine is a local conflict. But the truth is that Russia is at war with the entire world.
Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state and threats to the safety of nuclear power plants, energy security, huge environmental damage, abuse and torture of captured military and civilians and mass forced deportations, are testament to the sickening war crimes that have been inflicted upon us.
Russia is creating a multifaceted humanitarian catastrophe, with Ukraine at its core. We are adamant to defeat the aggressor and rid our land of invaders. During our counteroffensive operation, we have already liberated more than 270 sq. km. of our territories.
But we also seek to build a safer future both for Ukraine and the world.
We have a plan addressing all the threats that Russian aggression brings, and we have like-minded friends.
President Zelenskyy proposed his Peace Formula at G7 Summit last November, and since then, more countries that unconditionally respect Ukraine’s independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty have been joining eager to implement the initiative.
The 10-step Peace Formula is about international security, safety, and justice. It is based on key principles of international law and the UN Charter.
Therefore, the implementation of the Peace Formula is the restoration of respect for the UN Charter and the principles of international law.
Ukraine stands together with the international community in respecting these basic rules of global coexistence.
We are fighting, yet we are aware that victory and peace will not be achieved on the battlefield alone. Collaboration and collective effort are key ingredients for this recipe to succeed.
So, we worked out a three-stage model to ensure that the Formula goes international.
Be it nuclear safety, food security, or helping Ukraine get back thousands of its children that Russia kidnapped, any state could show their leadership according to its capabilities and inclinations.
The first stage comprises meetings with ambassadors from participating countries in Ukraine devoted to detailing each of the points of the Formula.
The second stage is selected meetings with national security advisors to lay out the optimal mechanisms for implementation and to prepare recommendations to leaders of states.
The third and final stage is the implementation of a joint plan by state and government heads.
Committed and brave leaders could make history.
Their Global Peace Summit should become a founding event of joined international efforts to put an end to the war on the terms of justice. That’s the only right way to address the aggressor’s snobbery and blackmail.
Earlier this month, the security advisors’ meeting in Jeddah was attended by representatives of over 40 countries, which is three times more than at the previous conference in Copenhagen.
At the latest meeting, 58 ambassadors gathered in Kyiv to discuss the results of Jeddah and further implementation of the Peace Formula. The momentum and support for the Peace Formula is growing, and the isolation of Russia is growing as well.
Ukraine’s plan will guarantee security and justice for the entire international community, and not just Ukraine.
Today, we are not only talking about ending the war. We are talking about the future. Ukrainian people will never forget those who stood by them all this time. Those who — regardless of the level of previous relations — supported Ukraine in its just struggle for independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Those real modern heroes would establish peace for Ukraine and the world.
The human cost of this conflict cannot be overstated, with countless lives lost, communities displaced, and economies shattered. Amid this grim backdrop, our Peace Formula emerges as the only beacon of hope and possibility.
