PRESS RELEASE : Civilized world must show Russia that it will not get away with either attempted annexation or nuclear blackmail – Andriy Yermak in column for The Atlantic [October 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 1 October 2022.

The response to Russia’s nuclear blackmail must be fierce and unequivocal, otherwise every dictator will scramble to obtain nuclear weapons, and al nonproliferation agreements will be worthless.

This is stated in the column of Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak published in the U.S. magazine The Atlantic.

Yermak draws readers’ attention to the fact that the Russians held fake referenda in sovereign territories of Ukraine the day before and recognized their results. In addition, losing on the battlefield in Ukraine, the Russian Federation began to threaten nuclear blackmail to force the Ukrainian state to abandon the fight for its people and its land.

“The response to Russia’s nuclear blackmail must be fierce and unequivocal, rejecting the very idea of making concessions to a nuclear aggressor. Otherwise, every ambitious dictator will scramble to obtain nuclear weapons, and every responsible nonnuclear nation will seek to acquire nuclear weapons for self-defense. Nonproliferation agreements will be worthless. Nuclear wars, with their millions of casualties, will follow,” Yermak said.

Therefore, according to his conviction, today the civilized world must demonstrate resolution and make it clear to the Russian Federation that it will not get away with either an attempt at annexation or nuclear blackmail. One of these decisive steps may be the conclusion of the Kyiv Security Compact, recommendations for which were recently presented.

“Earlier this month, I co-wrote a report with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former secretary-general of NATO, offering a set of recommendations based on our consultations with an international group of experts. We called for the creation of a Kyiv Security Compact – a strategic partnership that unites Ukraine and a set of guarantor states,” the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said.

According to him, the principle of operation of this agreement is simple: the security of Ukraine depends primarily on the ability to defend itself. To do this effectively, Ukraine needs long-term contributions from its allies. The Kyiv Security Compact is aimed at providing practical assistance to enhance Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.

“A core group of Ukraine’s allies, with significant military capabilities, would make a set of commitments that are both politically and legally binding. Alongside these commitments of military support, a broader group of international partners would offer a set of nonmilitary guarantees based on sanctions,” Yermak said.

He said that alongside these recommendations are not a substitute for Ukraine’s ambition to join NATO. But joining NATO will take time, and we need guarantees to protect Ukraine now.

“The Kyiv Security Compact would make clear to Russia that the cost of its aggression will continue to mount, until it becomes too high for it to bear. Helping Ukraine defend itself, survive, and ultimately prevail is the best investment our allies can make to secure a safer future for the whole world,” Yermak said.