Neutrality at the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine is not an option, - US Permanent Representative to the OSCE

In Ukraine today, we witness the clash of two systems: democracy and autocracy.

Michael Carpenter, United States Permanent Representative to the OSCE, voiced these words at the 15^th annual Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s “Open Ukraine” Foundation.

“What we witness today is a collision of systems. For the first time after the World War II, we see such a geopolitical competition. These are events in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, the South Caucasus, on the borders with Iran and Syria, in China and in North Korea. Time and again, there are democratic countries on one hand, and autocracies on the other. And there are three levels to this clash of systems,” he said.

The second dimension of this confrontation, said the US representative to the OSCE, is manifest at the level of the countries’ institutions.

“On the one hand, we have democratic systems with powers and authority flowing from grassroots all the way up the vertical, on the other hand the powers and authority go down from the top, and there is no checks and balances system, there is no political pluralism,” he said.

“At the third level, we see a clash of systems reflected in the international system. Some countries respect international law, the Charter of the United Nations, regulations and customs recorded in the Geneva documents. And this time Russia has violated all imaginable and unimaginable rules and procedures of the aforementioned documents,” said Michael Carpenter.

“Ukraine must overcome this imperative, determining success of democratic systems and international order at all three levels mentioned above. Therefore, we must provide all the necessary political and economic assistance to ensure that the entire free world stands by Ukraine,” added the US Permanent Representative to the OSCE.

“Military neutrality at the backdrop of this current war is not an option, because then we face, once again, all the three levels of systemic conflicts. Currently, countries are ready to invest in the victory of Ukraine, in democratic institutions, and to contemplate the issue of comprehensive security, and only together can we attain this vision,” he concluded.

Noteworthy, the 15^th annual Kyiv security forum “For Our and Your Freedom/ Fighting for NATO” will be held on May 25-26, 2023, with the participation of well-known international figures. In particular, at the Forum, the KSF Security Council will be established and a policy document will be adopted with recommendations for the NATO summit in Vilnius to be held this July.