UNIC STATEMENT TO EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

Thank you for your support!

The UNIC team is partly based in Kyiv; others have moved to smaller cities, which are relatively safe, as for the fifth day in a row the Russian army is waging a full-scale bloody war in peaceful Ukraine. Whenever possible, we work remotely and online.

We want each of our international friends and partners to understand that today the Russian occupation forces are shelling all the strategic cities of Ukraine, without sparing anyone — even sick children in hospitals. Our Army is doing impossible things to protect Ukraine. Civilians unite in territorial defense groups to protect their cities, to support the Army, the Government, and local authorities as volunteers.

At the same time, most countries of the civilized democratic world make an extremely valuable contribution to the fight against the enemy. We are grateful to the international community for not standing aside from the shameful Russian invasion and for taking possible measures to stop violations of international law, stop war crimes and crimes against humanity by the aggressor country.

Today, civilized countries in Europe as well as in the whole world are applying packages of economic sanctions against Russia. Therefore, we thank the international community for financial support, support for military equipment and humanitarian aid — this further strengthens everyone's understanding that Ukraine is a crucial part of the European community.

At the same time, we urge our international partners to continue the course of strengthening sanctions against legal entities and individuals of the Russian Federation, blocking any attempts to circumvent them, and to help the Army in any possible way. Today we need your support, voice, and action to stop the war!

Companies that are part of the community are also actively involved in our fight against the occupier, and we are extremely proud of such involvement. At the same time, with each passing day, business will also need support from abroad to maintain the capacity needed to support Ukrainian economy. We ask for your help in maintaining, establishing Ukrainian business ties with international networks in order to ensure the sustainability and uninterrupted Army support, volunteers, and the country in general.

The most important things you can do for Ukraine now are as follows:

• Ask the leaders of your countries for tough sanctions, urgent military support, and action against the aggression of the Russian Federation and against the war of international order on the part of Russia, which is currently taking place in Ukraine and Europe.
• Ask the leaders of your NATO member states to close the airspace over Ukraine and provide military assistance to Kyiv.
• Ask the Governments of your countries to formally support the Ukrainian people and the Government of Ukraine in their appeal to the European Union for Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU under a special procedure.
• Read and share verified and official information about Russia's attack on Ukraine. Also write support messages or publish posts using the hashtag #StandWithUkraine Please find verified sources from the official sites in Ukraine here: https://linktr.ee/ukraine_ua
• Help protect Ukraine by donating to the charitable foundations of Ukraine, to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to the logistical and medical support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Please find more information following the link: https://www.kmu.gov.ua/.../nacbank-ukrayini-vidkriv...
• Focus, redistribute reform and technical support programs in accordance with the needs of the Government of Ukraine and public organizations that fight against the occupiers.

We hope that this hell will end soon, war criminals will be punished, and we will be able to come back to normal life and continue the work of UNIC. Until then, the Network operates in conditions of war and does everything possible to protect the state and its citizens.

Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes! Stay strong!