War has returned to our continent (Ambassador’s declaration)
At the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, we think of historical lessons.
This month, we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in the most devastating conflict that humanity has ever faced. In August, we will also commemorate the anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese Empire of 1945, and thus the end of World War II.
Now that we are considering the end of the war in Europe, we must also realize today’s tragic reality: a nationwide war that has returned to our continent. Rejection Russia Recognize the right of his neighbor to make sovereign decisions in foreign policy that culminated with an invasion of Ukraineit is a strong memento that historical lessons are never a matter of course.
The victory was not absolute
Decisions taken after the end of World War II were to prevent the recurrence of such conflicts. The establishment of the United Nations organization and the adoption of its Charter was an establishment of a collective commitment to territorial integrity and the mate of Member States, a commitment to peaceful conflict settlement and at the same time banning the use of violence.
American Marshall’s plan He then helped to restore the destroyed economies of Western Europe, and Brettonwood institutions introduced rules -based economic management in an effort to promote stability among nations. NATO – The cornerstone of transatlantic security – protects our peace as a guarantor of defense of Member States for more than 75 years. Finally, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCSE) and later its successor organization for security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had an important role in building confidence and stability also in preventing conflicts and management of crises.
The wisdom of those who have shaped the post -war world is more important in these precarious times than ever. In today’s memory, however, we should not only think of the leaders of the past times, but also of millions of ordinary men and women who have sacrificed themselves – many paid for their lives – for freedom and democracy. Their victory was not absolute.
Nazi Germany was defeated, but much of Europe remained in the grip of another repressive regime. The Soviet Union played an important role in the defeat of fascism, but his agreement with Germany (the so -called Molotov Pact – Ribbentrop) led between 1939 – 1941 to divide Poland into two parts, to unprovised attack on Finland and also to illegal occupation of Estonia, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.
The Soviets then introduced their own authoritarian power over half the continent, betraying the desire of those who fought for the real liberation. The words « freedom » and « liberation » were then marked by this reality for decades.
Lesson is repeated in Ukraine
We owe people who fought for democracy in World War II. Many Slovaks together with the Allies fought from the air and on the ground, many others have been involved in Slovak National Uprising And countless resistance fighters fought across Europe, after all, in Germany itself.
These men and women risk everything when they stood up to the hateful ideology of racial superiority, totalitarianism and cruelty. Their resistance helped to create the world we live in, and left a legacy that continues to stand at our democratic values.
The struggle of our ancestors is a lesson that every generation learns again. It is worth fighting for freedom to fight regardless of the price. Those who have been trapped behind the Iron Curtain have been imprisoned for years. And unfortunately, we see the same lesson again – in Ukraine today. Just as our predecessors have built a tyranny, we are also obliged to maintain their legacy and entrust the responsibility for the protection of democracy to our children. History showed us what happens when aggression is left without control. This is a truth that we must not forget.
Signatories are ambassadors AlbaniaBelgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece. The Netherlands, CroatiaCanada, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Poland, PortugalAustria, Romania, Northern Macedonia, Slovenia, United Kingdom, SpanishSwitzerland, Sweden, Italy and the Embassy of Iceland.
