Regarding the anti-Ukrainian provocation arranged by the so-called “The Coordination Council of the Russian Communities of Cyprus” and the “Cypriot Society of Russophiles”
On September 28, at the “Russian Center of Science and Culture” in Nicosia, a meeting organized by the so-called “Coordination Council of the Russian Communities of Cyprus” and the “Cypriot Society of Russophiles” will be held on the occasion of Russia’s so-called “reunification” with the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine.
As part of the events planned in Nicosia, in particular, a procession with flags and posters will take place, which, according to the organizers, will symbolize Russia’s victory over Ukraine.
All of these cynical events are supposed to take place against the background of Russia’s ongoing large-scale aggression against Ukraine. Russian occupiers keep killing civilians — children, women, and the elderly — every day. Numerous Ukrainian cities and villages have been systematically destroyed by relentless missile strikes and artillery bombardments. Thousands of Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred to Russia. Many civilians in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories face torture and abuse at the hands of occupying forces.
Although the Republic of Cyprus and other members of the international community have taken a principled stance supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemning Russian aggression and atrocities, Russia is still trying to spread its genocidal propaganda abroad, including in the Republic of Cyprus.
We are concerned by Russia’s attempts to incite hatred against Ukraine and Ukrainians. We are certain that in the third year of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, Moscow should not be given an opportunity to spread war propaganda on the territory of an EU state.
We expect a tough reaction from the Government and political forces of the Republic of Cyprus to these openly provocative actions of Kremlin-controlled organizations on the territory of Cyprus.
We are committed to the values of freedom and democracy, which our warriors are fighting for. We are convinced that in democratic societies there is no place for war propaganda and public gatherings of chauvinists who glorify aggression, murder of civilians, torture, arbitrary detention, forcible transfer of children, and other atrocities. Such propaganda and events must be banned for the sake of safeguarding our shared democratic principles.
We also call for ethical, political, and legal assessments of the actions of the so-called “Coordination Council of the Russian Communities of Cyprus” and the “Cypriot Society of Russophiles”.