Friends of the Earth International statement on Ukraine

As a Federation fighting for justice and peace across the globe, Friends of the Earth International strongly condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. As Russian troops push further into Ukraine, our member groups around the world are horrified to witness the growing impact on civilians and the environment.  

War is the worst thing that can happen to people and to nature. Friends of the Earth International calls for demilitarisation and disarmament on both sides of this conflict, as well as globally. The threat of nuclear weapons hangs over this conflict; we will never be rid of this terrible threat until there is the urgent decommissioning and disarmament of nuclear weapons and power plants in every country in which they are present. 

Wars and conflicts are fuelled worldwide by the dependence on fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources and are often caused by competition for them. We must urgently get out of this dependence and ensure a just feminist transition toward system change that promotes a peoples’ centered sustainable energy model to prevent catastrophic climate change and to ensure a more stable world is possible.

Friends of the Earth International’s vision is of a peaceful and sustainable world based on societies living in harmony with nature. Our solidarity goes out to all those who suffer from and oppose this unjust war. We demand an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian invasion forces. 

All people impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine must be protected. Friends of the Earth International calls for an increase in humanitarian and relief aid to the people in Ukraine. International human and humanitarian rights must be respected. Civilians, and especially the internally displaced and refugees, must be protected. Friends of the Earth International welcomes the opening of borders to provide means of evacuation, shelter, emergency assistance, medical assistance and asylum to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, regardless of their nationality, gender, ethnicity or color, or religion. We call for this “open borders” approach to be applied un-selectively for all people fleeing this and other wars and armed conflicts worldwide. Support and sanctuary must also be provided to people who are fleeing being drafted into the military as an act of conscience, as well as for those persecuted for anti-war protesting in Russia. 

It is crucial that the world has a clear picture of what is happening in Ukraine. We call for support for independent media reporting and we oppose the information war and propaganda that has thus far been widespread in this conflict.

Finally, it is important to remember that this attack did not come from the Russian people, but from Russian leaders. We call for peaceful and respectful communications and condemn hate speech that targets entire nations. 

This war, will be resolved when leaders come together to talk and negotiate. We urge all involved to avoid more death and suffering, and more devastation of nature and resources. A peace building process aimed at building a political solution to this geopolitical conflict must begin immediately.