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Ukraine

Ukraine: our solidarity is needed more than ever

A peaceful country that poses no threat must not be suppressed and destroyed by sheer force. The people of Ukraine want to live in peace and freedom.

ASF statement on the 2nd anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Scenic view of the Black Sea near Odesa, Ukraine, with trees in the foreground and a clear blue sky.
The Black Sea near Odesa

It is not enough to simply call for an end to the violence and a ceasefire from the outside without clearly stating how this is to be achieved in order to benefit more than just Russian aggression. Instead, we must listen to the people affected.

Without an end to the Russian attacks and occupation, without effective protection against the most serious human rights violations, without dealing with the war crimes and without the return of the abducted children, there will be no just peace.

Anyone familiar with the history of Europe knows that a cold peace must not be forced on the backs of oppressed people. A just peace has nothing to do with a faux cemetery peace.

We continue to stand by the people of Ukraine. We maintain contact with our partners in the country and help with the BerlinOdessaExpress and the aid network for survivors of National Socialism. We facilitate encounters and engagement for our Ukrainian volunteers.

We hope for a free and peaceful future for Ukraine in an open Europe. We hope for an end to repression in Russia and Belarus.

BerlinOdessaExpress and aid network

ASF supports the aid initiatives in which full-time employees and volunteers are also involved.

More information:

https://hilfsnetzwerk-nsverfolgte.de/

https://berlinodessaexpress.de/

Travel report Odesa

A group from ASF visited several partner organisations in Odesa in spring 2023.

The war and volunteering

ASF sent volunteers from Germany to several Ukrainian cities until February 2023. There, they worked with people persecuted by the Nazis, in social projects and at memorial sites, among other things. Due to the state of war, volunteer work is no longer possible for the time being. The projects in Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine had to be cancelled back in 2014. However, volunteers from Ukraine continue to take part in the ASF programmes in Poland and Germany.