We call on all EU-member states and the EU-institutions as well as our European neighbours, to engage in an initiative for active neutrality to reduce tension and promote a political agreement between all parties involved.

We are witnessing a worrying escalation of tension between Russia and Ukraine, with the United States and NATO getting involved in the conflict. As things stand at present, none of the disputants is ruling out the possibility of resorting to arms and no observer is ruling out the possibility of an armed conflict, including a nuclear one, which could involve the European continent. The silence of the United Nations in the face of this deeply worrying situation is truly unacceptable.

While we stand behind every country asking for a non-violation of its borders, we remind all protagonists that the resorting to violence historically always engendered suffering and thus new reasons for more conflicts. International security must rest on a commitment to joint survival rather than a threat of mutual destruction. No country can obtain security, in the long run, simply by taking unilateral decisions about its own military deployment. Security depends also on the actions and reactions of potential adversaries. Therefore, a focus on common security – the notion that ultimately, nations and populations can only feel safe when their counterparts feel safe–is a must.

However, in this climate of exasperated rearmament, protagonists seem to be seeking supremacy rather than a strategic agreement that would guarantee future and long-lasting peace.

To avert this risk, every country has a duty to act.

We ask all EU member states, the European institutions, our neighbours in Europe and other interested parties to take urgent and significant initiatives from a position of active neutrality. There is an urgent need to achieve a de-escalation of the tense situation and to start the search for a negotiated political agreement with respect for the security and rights of all the populations involved, clarifying their unwillingness to support military adventures.

We particularly ask the United Nations to play their role of honest broker in diplomatic efforts to reduce tension and re-open the way to negotiations.