European Union Highlights Four Years of Russian Invasion and Ukraine's Demonstrated Resilience

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The European Union has stated that the four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine have not only been a test of Ukraine’s national resilience but have also demonstrated that Russia is an unreliable partner. This statement was made by the European Union Ambassador to Indonesia, Denis Chaibi, during a public discussion entitled “Consistency in Upholding the UN Charter”, held in Jakarta on Tuesday. “This war has not only shown Ukraine’s resilience but also demonstrated that Russia is an unreliable partner,” said Ambassador Chaibi. He recalled the context of the early 1990s when the global geopolitical order changed drastically after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. At that time, Ukraine inherited a large number of nuclear weapons, making it one of the countries with the largest arsenals in the world. According to Chaibi, the international community at that time assured Kyiv that Moscow would be a trustworthy partner. As part of a commitment to shared security and stability, Ukraine’s nuclear weapons were dismantled and removed. However, he believes that Russia ultimately reneged on that agreement. “Ukraine agreed. Ukraine believed in the agreement. But who is now completely reneging on the agreement? Russia. With this attitude, peace is impossible,” he said. Referring to 24 February 2022 as the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chaibi affirmed that in the last four years, Ukraine has not only defended its territory but has also carried out institutional reforms, strengthened society, digitised governance, and deepened democratic accountability. “It is not only the army, but every citizen is fighting for their future. Farmers, artists, are choosing dignity over despair, choosing to build even when others are destroying,” he said. Chaibi also linked Ukraine’s struggle with the experience of Indonesia’s third president, B.J. Habibie, when he faced political and economic crises in 1998. He described Habibie as a leader who did not back down in the face of difficulties and believed that transformation through knowledge, discipline, and courage was important. “He (Habibie) put forward the concept of sovereignty which is not only territorial, but also intellectual, technological, and most importantly, moral. Ukraine today embodies the same belief,” said Chaibi. By emulating this character, Chaibi believes that the current momentum is important for Ukraine to gain recognition for its efforts to defend its country’s sovereignty. As it enters its fourth year since the Russian invasion, the United States is leading peace efforts through three rounds of negotiations that have been held since early 2026. Russia and Ukraine began peace negotiations in Belarus on 28 February 2022, four days after the start of the invasion. The second and third rounds of talks took place on 3 and 7 March 2022 in Belarus. The fourth and fifth rounds were held on 10 and 14 March 2025 in Antalya, Turkey. In addition to the exchange of prisoners, which was the first in the last five months, the progress achieved has been limited, especially regarding the issue of territorial concessions, which is one of the main sticking points. The next round of talks is expected to take place at the end of this month. Copyright © ANTARA 2026 It is strictly prohibited to take content, crawl or automatically index for AI on this website without written permission from the ANTARA News Agency.