The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) is calling upon the international community, specifically youth and student organizations, and governments worldwide to boycott the World Festival of Youth and Students being hosted by the Russian Federation from 14-22 October 2017.
Supporting the call of the Government of Ukraine, the UWC draws attention to the blatant violation by the Russian Federation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with this event which takes place on the temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation Ukrainian territory, specifically the cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol.
Foreign delegations will be travelling freely across borders in violation of the UN Charter, Resolutions of the UN General Assembly and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, as well as other multilateral international treaties to which Ukraine and the Russian Federation are signatories.
The organization of this Festival crudely mocks the international community which has resolutely condemned the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including the illegal occupation of Crimea, and imposed sanctions in response to these actions.
The World Festival of Youth and Students is yet another example of the tactics of the Russian Federation in its hybrid war involving, in this instance, young people to undermine the territorial integrity of a sovereign state.
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls upon governments to ensure that their youth and students are not used to promote the disinformation being spread by the Russian Federation by issuing a boycott of the World Festival of Youth and Students,” said UWC President Eugene Czolij.
