PRESS RELEASE: Brave Ukrainians defend their sovereignty and freedom

Humanity stood on the edge of darkness when President Putin threatened the international community with nuclear weapons, should any country interfere in his unlawful invasion of Ukraine. Putin then placed his nuclear forces on high alert and Ukraine’s “don’t look up moment” had arrived. Except it’s anything but a Netflix satirical movie, warning humanity about its apocalyptic self-destruction.

When President Biden and European leaders informed the world they wouldn’t directly intervene militarily in Ukraine, its citizens knew they’re on their own. If freedom mattered to Ukrainian men and women, they’d have to selflessly lay down their lives and fight. Putin has unleashed a military firestorm that’s causing catastrophic and indiscriminate devastation to life and property.

Nations are now playing catch-up to level effective sanctions to stop Putin’s military action and hold Russia’s kleptocracy to account. Surrounded militarily, Ukrainians are sitting ducks. Access to basic services and supplies are increasingly difficult and stockpiles of military hardware and ammunition are diminishing. Millions are likely to be displaced refugees.

Global citizens face the prospect of yet another World War with devastating consequences, unless political leaders unitedly uphold a rules-based world order, national sovereignty and human decency. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine highlights humanity’s endless inability to respect individual differences and resolve disputations peacefully.

Over centuries, wars have cost humanity trillions financially. Incredulously, hundreds of millions of global citizens are casualties of war – injured or deceased, living with trauma and displacement.

Putin cannot prevail domestically, internationally or within Ukraine. When the nucleus of a political system loses authentic connection with its people, the sum of its parts breaks down on itself, unless it can reorder to a higher state of being. Superpowers can forcibly win an illicit war, but they cannot maintain the peace. History demonstrates resistance fighters are an unrelenting force. It’s in the DNA of freedom fighters that freedom’s worth dying for and in death there’s eternal life.

At the Beijing Winter Olympics, the torch burnt brightly inside a giant snowflake shaped cauldron, which comprised smaller snowflakes bearing the names of participating countries. A powerful symbol that global nations are inextricably linked. At the closing ceremony, fireworks spelt out the universal message in the night sky – One world, One family. It’s time we meant it.

Bad things happen when good people do nothing or ineffectually not enough.

Dr Michael Walton, Clinical Psychologist, Newcastle, New South Wales