Ukrainian Major Archbishop appeals for solidarity and warns the danger of civil war
is not over
(Vatican Radio) The Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has made
a heartfelt appeal to European Nations for solidarity and support for the people
of Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference held on Tuesday at Vatican Radio,
His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk denounced the fact that the cry of the Maidan protesters
went largely unheard and ignored until the explosion of violence last week that left
some 100 people dead, and thousands more injured.
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He said that
Ukraine is now living through a dark time because nobody knows how the situation is
going to evolve…
But he also said it also a moment of great hope because Maidan
has become a yeast that has caused the whole Ukrainian population to ferment.
After
recounting at length and in detail the chain of events set off on November 29th
when the President refused to sign a pact with the EU, Archbishop Shevchuk made an
appeal for solidarity.
“I would like to ask Europeans to wake up because what
is happening in Ukraine, sooner or later, will touch all of you. Because Ukraine is
part of Europe. And if people continue to pretend that nothing is happening, not only
will things worsen in Eastern Europe, but this will cause great lack of faith in European
values in the Western nations”.
“I would also like to ask for a review of the
relations with Ukraine”. Achbishop Shevchuk says the problem of visas required by
Ukrainian students and the great difficulties they have to face when they want to
enter other European countries has already been considered and should again come
under examination.
“We want to build Europe in Ukraine, and only the students
can do that” – so he says – “Europe does not have to defend itself from Ukrainian
youth”.
Shevchuk also appealed for solidarity and help for the many thousands
who have been wounded during the Maidan uprising.
He says many countries
including Poland, Lithuania, the Czech republic and Slovakia have already offered
to receive the wounded. And he makes an appeal to Italy to do the same.
Shevchuk
expresses his gratitude to Germany, Poland and France for having sent their foreign
ministers to Ukraine to act as peace mediators in the most difficult moment of the
standoff. But he warns “this kind of solidarity must continue because the danger that
one of our neighbours will provoke a civil war has not blown over”.