This task force shares information on the current humanitarian, political, and military situation in Ukraine, encourages individual action by church members in support of Ukraine, and cooperates with local groups working for the survival of Ukraine.
We aim to keep support for Ukraine in the hearts, minds, and actions of members of our congregation, and to increase visible support for Ukraine through dialog, political actions, outreach to other UU groups, and donations.
Ukraine has been striving for democratization since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The 2014 Revolution of Dignity was sparked when the government reneged on pursuing a promised closer orientation toward European Democracy. The subsequent annexation of Crimea and fomentation of rebellion in the Donbas by the Russian Federation, and the full scale invasion of 2022 were illegal, unprovoked and unjustified, based on lies of repression of the Russian language and the role of Nazis in Ukraine’s government. Currently, major compliance with European norms of democracy are being undertaken in all the branches of the Ukrainian government as consideration for admission to the EU nears, and multiple NGOs focus on transparency, anti-corruption, and clean elections.
Russia denies the existence of a Ukrainian state and culture and is working to eradicate it. In the illegally annexed territories that Russia already occupies, democracy has been suppressed. Should Russia be allowed to prevail, one can expect the same political repressions practiced in Russia to extend to any territories they are ceded, including the near outlawing of LGBTQ activism and genocidal reprisals against those who stand for an independent Ukraine.
Contact: PreservingDemocracyUkraine@bvuuf.org
