Grupul Media Realitatea, together with over 70 civil society organizations from the Republic of Moldova, signed a joint declaration titled “For a Just and Lasting Peace with Protection of People, International Law, and Solidarity with the Ukrainian People.”
The signatories called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on international law, not force, with real security guarantees, accountability for war crimes, and a reaffirmation of the values that have sustained peace in Europe: democracy, rule of law, and respect for human life.
“Four years after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, civil society organizations from Moldova reaffirm full solidarity with the Ukrainian people and send a clear message: the war must stop, but peace cannot ignore international law. This war flagrantly violates the rules protecting small and sovereign states. When force replaces law, the entire international order is at risk. A rules-based world means equal rights for all states,” said Iulian Groza, Executive Director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE).
The declaration notes that after Ukraine, Moldova has felt the strongest consequences of Russian aggression. Over the past four years, the country has shown solidarity, resilience, and mobilization in an extremely challenging context.
Moldova has hosted tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, providing protection, access to employment, education, and healthcare. Local communities, volunteers, NGOs, and public authorities worked together to manage one of Europe’s largest recent humanitarian crises. This solidarity reflects Moldova’s national values: dignity, empathy, and respect for human life.
“Ukraine’s resistance contributes directly to the security of the entire European continent. Defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity defends the principles on which post-World War II peace in Europe was built. We call on the EU and its member states to provide Ukraine with all necessary assistance to ensure successful resistance against aggression and to achieve a just and sustainable peace.
At the same time, Moldova has been and remains a target of Russian aggression: energy pressure, disinformation campaigns, destabilization attempts, external interference, manipulation through the Orthodox Church under the Russian Patriarchate, and social division. Despite these attacks, the people of Moldova remain committed to democracy, the rule of law, and European development. We have endured because we remained united for peace.
We call on every Moldovan citizen to strengthen social cohesion. We firmly condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Relativizing aggression, moral ambiguity, or open or tacit justification of violence weakens resilience and undermines our common security,” the declaration states.
The signatories stressed that the way this war ends will affect European security for generations, and that an unjust peace risks paving the way for future conflict.
The full text of the declaration can be read HERE.