On 16 August 2018, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij sent a letter to the Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel expressing grave concerns about the relentless Russian military aggression against Ukraine and its devastating consequences, as well as the acute situation of Ukrainian political prisoners in Russian jails.
The UWC called upon the German Federal Chancellor to halt any further discussions on, and the construction of, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will have an enormous negative impact on the Ukrainian economy and increase its vulnerability to continued Russian military aggression. It will also lead to higher gas prices and the general dependence of the EU, including Germany, as well as Ukraine, on gas supplies from the Russian Federation which, on several occasions in the past, has used gas as a political weapon against various countries.
“The Ukrainian World Congress appeals to the German Federal Chancellor to demonstrate Germany’s strong commitment to the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea, and to intensify pressure on the Russian Federation for the immediate release of all unlawfully detained political prisoners and hostages, particularly those who continue to hold lengthy hunger strikes, which now seriously endanger their lives,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
