Rusudan Shelia

Ukraine and the Ukrainian people will remain an example not only for the modern world but also for future generations, due to the dedication this nation has shown in protecting its dignity and future. The country at war has been able to write the history of a victor even before achieving final physical victory, with each Ukrainian contributing personally to this effort. Among them, one prominent figure is Aleksandra Matviychuk—a human rights defender who, without exaggeration, exemplifies the Ukrainian fighting spirit. Oleksandra Matviichuk is a laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize; she heads the non-governmental organization "Center for Civil Liberties" and coordinates the activities of the initiative group Euromaidan SOS. Additionally, she works on legislative reforms and provides public oversight of law enforcement agencies and the judicial system. In response to the full-scale war that began in February 2022, she and her partners began documenting the international crimes that Russia has been committing across all regions of Ukraine, with the aim of presenting this evidence to a tribunal for Putin. Oleksandra Matviichuk recently visited Washington to convey a key message of the Ukrainian people. We also asked her to share this message to the Georgian audience s well:

- To start our conversation, could you provide an update on the current situation in Ukraine? What recent developments have you observed, and how would you describe the mood among the Ukrainian people?

- As we expect a very harsh winter, Russia has already destroyed the vast majority of Ukraine's energy regeneration systems, which means millions of people will face the threat of mid-winter without heating, electricity, water, or light. We are modern people in a modern world, and it’s very difficult to survive without basic human necessities. However, Ukrainians are also very creative, and there is a huge wave of solidarity across the country. We will do our best to find solutions to this difficult situation.

- What do you believe Ukraine needs most from the international community right now, and what key message did you bring to Washington?

- It's crucial to secure Ukrainian airspace and prevent further damage to the remaining energy systems and other civilian infrastructure. Russia intentionally targets residential buildings, schools, churches, museums, and hospitals, reaching areas far from the front line. Just recently, Russia struck a residential building in Lviv, a city near the Polish border. A whole family died in the rubble, with only the father surviving. His wife, Evgenia, and their three beautiful daughters were killed in this Russian strike. It is vital to secure defense systems and to obtain permission to strike back at military facilities within Russian territory. It is surreal that Russia can send rockets into Ukrainian territories to destroy civilian objects, while Ukraine is not allowed to respond in kind against military targets in Russia.

- President Zelensky is actively informing and collaborating with the West on what he calls a victory plan. How do you evaluate this approach?

- I think it’s a good plan, but the question is: how do we implement it? This is not just a problem for Ukraine. Implementing this plan is not merely a war between two states; it is a war between two systems: authoritarianism and democracy. Russia uses Ukraine not as a goal, but as a tool to undermine the international order and dictate its rules to the entire international community, even forcibly changing internationally recognized borders. The main issue is that we still lack a common goal. While our struggle has begun, democracies initially said, "Let’s help Ukraine not to fail." As a result, Ukraine received its first weapons to defend itself, and the first real sanctions against Russia were introduced. We are extremely grateful for this support, as it helped us survive. However, this also explains why Ukraine waited for more than a year for assistance and why it took over two years to receive modern aircraft. This delay has resulted in numerous deaths. We must change the narrative from "Let’s help Ukraine not to fail" to "Let’s help Ukraine to win." There is a significant difference between these two narratives, and we can practically measure those differences in terms of the types of weapons provided, the speed of decisions made, and the severity of sanctions imposed. The problem is that Russia does not want peace. Putin aims to achieve his historical goals, and those politicians who believe they can offer Putin a part of Ukrainian territory in exchange for peace are engaging in wishful thinking. We cannot afford to indulge in wishful thinking; it is very dangerous to do so when we are at war. The process of understanding the imperialist nature of Russia has already started, but it is still slow. Developed democracies need to rethink everything they know about Russia, because Russia is an empire. An empire has a center but no borders. When an empire has power, it always tries to expand. If we are unable to stop Putin in Ukraine, he will go further. That is why neither Ukraine, nor Georgia, nor other countries in our region are safe while Russia continues to behave like an imperialist state.

- In addition to the physical war, the informational war has become a significant challenge. In your opinion, how effective are anti-disinformation mechanisms, and how well do we understand the Russian information machinery?

- This war has not only a military dimension but also an informational one. In this regard, it knows no national borders. Russia is fighting for hearts and minds—not just in Ukraine, but also in Georgia, Germany, and the United States and etc. They attempt to achieve military goals through information warfare. Even before the war began, and prior to 2014, the head of the Russian General Staff published an article in which he stated that we live in a world where information—video, text, and photo—has become a weapon of mass destruction. Russia uses this weapon to target civilians in various countries. This is a very dangerous situation, as there is currently no effective solution to prevent it. You can't stop Russian disinformation simply by blocking Russian TV channels; Russia employs other methods, such as the Russian Orthodox Church, cultural initiatives, social networks, deep fakes, and many other instruments. The only visible way to combat this is through critical thinking, which unfortunately the majority of people do not practice. Many simply access information online and accept answers without even questioning them. This tendency is typical of human nature, which is why we find ourselves in this predicament. There are no clear solutions to address the informational war in our post-information world.

- Unfortunately, Georgia has also become a significant part of the disinformation war, with the government using narratives related to the ongoing war in Ukraine and displaying some shameful banners before the elections. What is the reaction among Ukrainians to these policies of the Georgian government?

- It’s no surprise, we know what it means to live under a pro-Russian authoritarian and corrupt government. That is why, 18 years ago, millions of people in Ukraine raised their voices and peacefully demonstrated during the Revolution of Dignity, seeking the chance to build a country where everyone's rights are protected, the government is accountable, the judiciary is independent, and the police do not beat students who are peacefully protesting. We are paying a high price for this chance, as many have faced severe persecution by authoritarian regimes—people have been beaten, arrested, tortured, and falsely accused in fabricated criminal cases. Yet, I still believe that resisting evil is the best strategy. While there are no guarantees in our world, we still have a chance, and we have an obligation to seize this opportunity to build the future we want for ourselves and our children. I would like to express my sincere solidarity with the people of Sakartvelo (Georgia). I wish you success because your fight is also our fight. We are fighting for something that knows no national borders: freedom. It is freedom in all its senses—the freedom to be an independent country rather than a Russian colony, the freedom to preserve our own identities, and the freedom to educate our children without being forced to teach them as Russians. Additionally, it is the freedom to make our democratic choices and to build sustainable democratic institutions and a society governed by clear rules, where the rights of everyone are protected. Yes, it is a struggle. From my own experience, I can say that in such dramatic times, individual courage and responsibility matter. These challenging moments test us as human beings and call for individual leadership. I also know from my own experience that we can find ourselves in situations where nothing seems to work—neither the law nor the international system of peace and security. However, even in such situations, when you cannot rely on these instruments, you can still rely on people. Solidarity matters. We must support one another and help each other, because when we do, we become acutely aware of what it means to be human. We are human beings, not objects of control.