Skopje, 26 February 2024 (MIA) — The war in Ukraine is the biggest threat to European peace and security; its outcome will shape international relations for years to come, showing whether developing democracy after the Cold War was a wasted effort or whether democracy is strong enough to resist retrograde, authoritarian regimes, President Stevo Pendarovski told the "Ukraine: Two Years of Heroism" conference organized Monday by the Embassy of Ukraine in cooperation with CIVIL Center for Freedom.

President Pendarovski said the war would demonstrate whether the use of force would become the underlying principle of relations between countries in the 21st century, as opposed to the United Nations Charter principle of the sovereign equality of all its member states, regardless of whether they are small or large.

"The potential triumph of this retrograde principle, looming from the archives of centuries past, would be a recipe for permanent global instability and a return to a not-so-distant past when the large powers' geopolitical games and interests were far stronger than the free will of the nations," Pendarovski said.

Because of this, the world's democracy is at stake, he added, noting that Ukraine is defending itself and the consequences of the war reach beyond its borders.

On this day last year, the head of state said, we wished we would never gather again to mark the years of fighting for Ukraine's freedom but to celebrate liberation from Russia's occupation and the Ukrainian people's heroism.

"Unfortunately," Pendarovski continued, "the brutal aggression by Putin's regime against this friendly country of ours is entering its third year. The loss of human lives, the suffering of millions of people across the country, the devastating consequences and the onslaught of destruction have not abated."

Over these two years, he said, the world had witnessed the inhumanity of a regime cut off from reality, a complete anachronism in the 21st century, as if these were the darkest times of European history.

"That personal dictatorship is trying not only to revise history but also to change European borders, violating all international legal agreements that guarantee the continent's peace, stability and security after World War II," the President said.

That very regime, Pendarovski said, which tramples on justice and human rights in its own country, persecuting, imprisoning and killing its opponents, was trying to force upon the world a vision in which despots would determine the fate of current and future generations.

The Ukrainians have resisted these brutal attempts, enduring enormous sacrifices and showing perseverance and constant faith that good can defeat evil, the head of state said.

"Ukraine's fight for freedom is for a just cause, in the name of the entire democratic and civilized world, which must continue to help until the complete liberation of Ukraine," Pendarovski said.

North Macedonia has stood in solidarity with Ukraine since the very beginning and was one of the first countries to offer military, technical and humanitarian aid and to vocally oppose the violation of the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

"Our position has not changed in these two years since the start of the aggression," Pendarovski said. "Together with our NATO allies, we have constantly made efforts so the aid to Ukraine, which it sorely needs, is not delayed over political dynamics inside allied states."

According to him, Ukraine's liberation depends not only on the Ukrainian army but also on the financial, logistical and military assistance from other countries. 

In his speech, Pendarovski said he would participate in the Ukraine–Southeast Europe summit to be held in Tirana on Feb. 27, when he and his counterparts were set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

The aim of the summit, he said, was to reaffirm the countries' clear position to continue aid to Ukraine, support the reconstruction of the country's destroyed parts, and bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes.

"We will show full support for Ukraine's freely choosing the path it will follow in the future. If that path includes the will and readiness to integrate the country into both the EU and NATO, then we need to support Ukraine's choice," he said.

He said this needed to be reiterated as there were many who thought that by potentially changing the governments in key democratic states and organizations in 2024, Ukraine would be forced to choose to cede the Russian-occupied territories in exchange for peace, demilitarization and military neutrality.

Such an outcome, Pendarovski said, would be against the will of the Ukrainian people and would mean legitimizing aggression and the crimes committed over the past years.

As proof of this he pointed to "the annexation of Crimea, which happened ten years ago and which, because of the lack of response of the democratic world, did not prevent further conflict but only encouraged Moscow to implement the same aggressive scenario in eastern Ukraine a few years later."

Only by continued support from the democratic world will Ukraine be able to prevent Russia from gaining ground, he said, recalling the recently approved aid of EUR 50 billion by the EU Council and the announcement by the US Congress that would unfreeze USD 90 billion in aid for Ukraine.

"In the words of the US Secretary of State, 'If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. If Russia stops fighting, the war ends'," Pendarovski said.

In this fight, he said, North Macedonia would continue being on the right side of history until there is peace in Ukraine that will ensure long-term stability and prosperity not only of Ukraine but also of the European continent.

Addressing the conference, Ukrainian Ambassador Larysa Dir said the war in Ukraine was not only a war against the country but also against the democratic world and NATO.

Other speakers at the conference included Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps. mr/