The Elders affirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, its territorial integrity, its democracy, and its people’s right to live in peace and security.

Ban Ki-moon, Deputy Chair of The Elders and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, said:

“This crisis cannot and must not be resolved through the use of force. It would be a moral outrage if innocent civilians who have already suffered in the past paid the price for a failure of diplomacy. Resolution of the Ukraine crisis requires both current tensions and their root causes to be addressed. Russia’s concerns can be heard without the threat of war. This is a test that diplomacy must not fail.”

The current tensions should be resolved within the framework of the rules-based international order that has existed since the end of the Second World War, with all parties abiding by the principles of the UN Charter to which they have subscribed.

The first thing necessary to diffuse the tension is for President Putin to reverse the build-up of troops on Russia's Ukrainian border. 

Further escalation leading to military action will cause needless deaths, create long-term insecurity for all parties, and have destabilising consequences beyond Ukraine.

The Elders urged the leaders involved to act in their citizens’ wider interests, rather than pursuing short-term nationalist agendas. All parties should approach dialogue constructively, understanding each other’s legitimate security concerns and increasing the space for a peaceful solution.    

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Chair of The Elders

Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General and Deputy Chair of The Elders

Graça Machel, Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, co-founder and Deputy Chair of The Elders 

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the WHO

Zeid Raad Al Hussein, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and co-chair of the Taskforce on Justice

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate

Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile

Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate

Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico

ENDS

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