Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau presented a six-point plan of actions that should be taken by the international community in order to end the war that Russia waged not only to Ukraine, but to the entire free world.

First, Ukraine should be provided with all the weapons it needs to fight back against the Russian aggressor. President Vladimir Putin seeks no compromises. He attacked Ukraine, driven by his desire to resurrect the Russian empire. What he demands from Ukraine is its unconditional surrender, and even if he is now unable to achieve this end, he will not simply concede. He will continue to sow death and destruction to weaken Ukrainian morale. The only way the international community can influence his calculus is to arm Ukraine to the teeth, rendering his goals unachievable.

Second, the United States’ allies throughout the world must increase their investments in deterrence and defense. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine proves its increasing aggressiveness and decreasing predictability. The U.S. should launch a rapid rearmament of its allies and partners, including Ukraine, and incentivize it with a new lend-lease program, similar to the one the United States introduced during World War II. – says the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Third, NATO should immediately boost its forward military presence on its Eastern flank in Europe. 

Fourth, the sanctions should not be lifted until Russia withdraws from all territory within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine, recommits to the provisions of the Budapest Memorandum and pays war reparations. 

Fifth, the costs of this war must be devastating for Russia from more than just a financial perspective. The international community must also hold responsible those who enabled this war of aggression and its criminals of war. 

“We put war criminals on trial after the war in the former Yugoslavia, and we cannot allow the perpetrators of war atrocities in Ukraine to go unpunished. After all, in a rules-based order, all states are equal and all are accountable to the same set of laws”, said the minister.

Finally, Rau emphasizes that the international community must prepare a plan for reconstruction of Ukraine, use the confiscated assets of Russian oligarchs and offer the prospect of a better future in their country to millions of Ukrainian refugees. To do this, it is necessary to integrate Ukraine with Europe.

Only then will the failure of Russia’s aggression have a deterring effect on a global scale. Every potential aggressor should think twice before it decides to attack another sovereign country in the future. Defeating this policy of aggression will also help to restore the founding cause of the U.N. and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

“If we allow the return of wars of aggression into the foreign policy toolboxes of states, then interstate conflict will become the norm once more, and the rules-based international order will be lost, together with its institutions. That would be a loss that would extend far beyond Ukraine or Europe; it would impact the whole world. or Europe; it would affect the whole world”, warns Rau.