Since 2014, Ukraine has been affected by a conflict that was triggered by the Russian aggression on Crimea and the subsequent separatist war in the Donbass region. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, with millions of Ukrainians being displaced. In this difficult time, volunteers in Ukraine have played an important role in helping the Ukrainian army and civilian population.
There are few things more unsettling than the impact of Russian propaganda on the world. These manipulative attempts to deceive and manipulate the public to achieve political goals pose a threat to democracies and our freedoms. Therefore, it is not only important to expose Russian propaganda, but it is our duty to do so and support other structures in doing so. The effects of propaganda on a society can be devastating. We have seen in the past how propaganda has been used to manipulate and mislead entire populations. We cannot allow this practice to continue today.
In Ukraine, women fight against a murderous system that comes from Russia. Against rape and deportation. In Iran, women are fighting against compulsory headscarves and access to the education system. In Sudan, women fight against female genital mutilation. The list goes on for a long time. The physical integrity of women is not guaranteed in many countries around the world. Women are not free. Courageous women fight against it. The visually stunning impressions of the resistance are female and that is important.
Freedom - a word with many meanings. For some, it's just a term, but for others, it's an indispensable value that determines their lives and actions. Freedom is at the core of the liberal context and is also crucial for Ukraine. Ukraine has faced many challenges in recent years and has sought to defend its freedom and sovereignty. It's a struggle that is often difficult and sometimes even painful, but it's also a necessary fight to secure the country's future.
Secrecy in WaAmidst the ongoing conflicts and escalating violence in Ukraine, the Ukrainian government has issued an urgent message to soldiers and civilians, urging them not to disseminate any information about troop movements, attacks, or similarly sensitive military details. This measure is seen as a crucial component of the ongoing Ukrainian military offensive to ensure its success and safety.
Currently, the hospital accommodates about 300 children of all ages. Halyna, the medical director of the clinic, takes us on a tour of the hospital and emotionally recounts the first months of the cruel war. In the corridors, we see full water tanks as the hospital prepares for future crisis situations. We are led to the maternity ward to see the smallest patients in the hospital. We ask if we may photograph and document, and all agree, smiling sadly at us. Sirens in Kyiv sound several times a day, prompting many of the young patients to be moved.
“We are faced with a choice between slavery and freedom. We choose freedom!" said Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in the German Bundestag back in 1952. His words are to be understood in the context of the world situation between East and West at this time. It was about Germany's status back then. Which side of the Iron Curtain does Germany want to be on? On February 27, 2023 and 71 years after Adenauer's words, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation chose this sentence for a packed program of events in the heart of Berlin.
In the past four weeks, Russia has increasingly targeted Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Including combined heat and power plants and water supply. The result is that large parts of the country are repeatedly cut off from electricity and water. In the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the supply of electricity and water is now rationed. Both are only available part of the time and people's fear of winter is palpable. The situation is similar in large parts of the country. How will it go on?
The German federal government under the incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is still unable to deliver heavy weapons systems to Ukraine. More than 110 days after the start of the war in Ukraine still not one heavy weapon system from Germany arrived in Ukraine. One gets the impression that Germany is unwilling to provide a democratic state with the support it urgently needs.
Ukraine has successfully held out against the Russian aggressor for over 100 days. Over 100 days of suffering and struggle at the front. Countless volunteers support the fighters and victims of this war. They keep everything running and work where the state loses sight. At the smallest level: directly on the people. They sacrifice their private lives for this. Many of them are under enormous stress and work two full-time jobs. The regular work and the work as a volunteer.
