{"id":5379,"date":"2022-09-14T20:50:18","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T18:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/?p=5379"},"modified":"2022-09-14T20:50:19","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T18:50:19","slug":"peace-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/peace-first\/","title":{"rendered":"PEACE FIRST!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We, the people of Central Europe, are concerned about the escalating war in Ukraine. We will never reconcile ourselves to the fratricidal conflict between the two largest and once inseparably linked Slavic nations. It was a mistake for the guarantors of the Minsk Agreements to resign themselves to upholding their validity. However, we strongly protest against Russian aggression in Ukraine and other revanchist claims. But we also understand the security concerns of Russia, which feels threatened by the current NATO political course. Above all, we stand in solidarity with the people of Donbas, who are suffering most from the consequences of war, and call for thorough protection of theirs national, social and civil rights.<\/strong> We empathise most strongly with these people, because they are the most severely tested and the most cruelly paying the price for the failure of politicians to keep their promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our peoples remember very well what the occupation means. We have never reconciled ourselves to it, and we have never forgotten the occupiers, the five armies of the Warsaw Pact. But our peoples will always remember the wisdom of the politicians who did not allow the bloodshed of thousands of innocent people. Peace is hard work, and it requires from the people in power sensitivity and empathy with the people they are supposed to protect and defend. We declare that we oppose any policy that is intended to be a continuation of war. We have held this principle consistently, always, in the past, today and in the future, regardless of which power started the war.<\/strong> War has already spilled over into the people\u2019s minds, we are fighting among ourselves instead of seeking together a way out, not an enemy. At the end of every weapon there is a human life, that is why we are against increasing armaments and against the supply of weapons to any of the belligerents.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We welcome the fact that both opposing camps – Moscow and Kiev – understand that this conflict can only be ended through diplomatic negotiations. At the same time, however, we see that they cannot find a way to achieve them. The fact that the belligerent states stubbornly make maximum demands or even refuse peace talks is nothing strange in this kind of wars. It is only proof that they cannot break the deadlock from which only a major diplomatic offensive can help them. In this context, we are concerned that the international community, and Western actors in particular, have not yet exerted any concerted pressure to start negotiations. We therefore call on the leaders of our countries, particularly the governments of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, that instead of sending weapons, prolonging the war and further bloodshed, they exerted maximum pressure for a diplomatic solution to the conflict, used all their contacts, international influence and comparative advantages arising from their unique cultural and geopolitical position to bring an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine as quickly as possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warmongers are trying to tell the world that to come to an agreement means to capitulate, that mutual understanding is impossible and that peace can only be established by the victory of one and the defeat of the other. But historical experience shows us that this is not true, that people like James Carter, Javier P\u00e9rez de Cu\u00e9llar and Henry Kissinger achieved peace through negotiations, and it is no coincidence that they were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this. Starting negotiations is not a justification for war crimes. Negotiations do not mean dictating surrender to Ukraine. And negotiations do not mean ignoring the wishes of the parties involved. Negotiations are a necessary means of achieving a ceasefire, of preventing further suffering and the spread of conflict. Every additional day of war means hundreds more victims dying for goals that are less and less realistic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is worrying that the European Union is not playing its own game in this proxy war between two great powers. But it is maddening if it is taking steps that threaten its own energy and food security, even its own existence. It is therefore essential for European leaders to adopt a declaration that they have no interest in continuing the war and to adapt their future strategy accordingly. Europe’s first concern must be to restore peace on the continent, and to do this it must develop a strategy for ending the war as soon as possible. Continuing the war is not and must not be the solution to the problem.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One year on from Pope Francis’ memorable visit to Slovakia, when he called on us to make Slovakia ‘a message of peace at the heart of Europe’, we remind that our countries have so far done nothing to fulfil this vision, that they have not taken any diplomatic action to stop the bloodshed and enforce peace.<\/strong> However, both our nations must not stand on the sidelines, but must play an active role in the diplomatic resolution of the conflict. We desire our countries in the heart of Europe to be messengers of peace, not servants of war.<\/strong> This is also evident from the results of the 2021 National Values Survey, which ranked in the first place namely peace as the most important desired value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We call on the statesmen who alone can stop the madness of war in Ukraine to show courage and responsibility for the people they lead. We call on the opposing parties to find the courage to come to the negotiating table and to seek a way out of this deadly situation with an open mind. We call on our domestic politicians not to forget their citizens, their security and their needs. Elections are only meaningful if those elected understand the responsibility they are taking on. Let the will of the men and women of every free republic be the supreme law. War is not in their interest. Politicians, act on their behalf!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexander A\u010d, researcher and columnist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jozef Ban\u00e1\u0161, writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Branislav F\u00e1bry, university lecturer, lawyer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milan Daniel, journalist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Petr Drul\u00e1k, former Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, political scientist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Etela Farka\u0161ov\u00e1, philosopher and writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karol Farka\u0161ovsk\u00fd, journalist, former Member of the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milena Forejtn\u00edkov\u00e1, researcher, water economist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Ga\u0161parovi\u010d, former President of the Slovak Republic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vladim\u00edr God\u00e1r, composer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M\u00e1ria Gogov\u00e1, lawyer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eduard Gre\u010dner, film director<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mari\u00e1n Greksa, musician<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V\u00e1clav Ho\u0159ej\u0161\u00ed, university professor, immunologist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roman Hradeck\u00fd, historian, chairman of the Prometheus Society – an association of secular humanists<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anton Hykisch, writer and former Slovak ambassador to Canada<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eduard Chmel\u00e1r, historian and political analyst, president of the United for Peace<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al\u017ebeta Ja\u010fu\u010fov\u00e1, teacher emeritus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter Juza, university professor, political scientist and diplomat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan Kavan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and President of the UN General Assembly<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iveta Kompi\u0161ov\u00e1, Chair of the Management Board of United for Peace<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M\u00e1ria Kr\u00e1\u013eovi\u010dov\u00e1, actress<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arno\u0161t Kult, watermaster<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u013dudmila Lipkov\u00e1, university professor, economist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eva Maliti Fra\u0148ov\u00e1, writer and translator<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jozef Miga\u0161, former President of the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic, Ambassador to Ukraine and Belarus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Du\u0161an Mikolaj, writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ludv\u00edk N\u00e1b\u011blek, doctor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marek Obrtel, doctor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Popovi\u010d, artist, filmmaker and writer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gabriela Rothmayerov\u00e1, writer and publicist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marek Vojt\u011bch \u0158ezanka, poet and publicist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silvia Ruppeldtov\u00e1, translator and publicist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veronika Su\u0161ov\u00e1-Salminen, historian and political analyst<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ilona \u0160vihl\u00edkov\u00e1, economist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marie \u0160v\u00e1bov\u00e1, architect<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaroslav Tur\u00e1nek, university professor, biochemist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bo\u017eidara Turzonov\u00e1, actress<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emil Vi\u0161\u0148ovsk\u00fd, university professor, philosopher<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We, the people of Central Europe, are concerned about the escalating war in Ukraine. We will never reconcile ourselves to the fratricidal conflict between the two largest and once inseparably linked Slavic nations. It was a mistake for the guarantors of the Minsk Agreements to resign themselves to upholding their validity. However, we strongly protest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[79,77,78],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5379"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5379"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5380,"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5379\/revisions\/5380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zjednotenizamier.sk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}