Ukraine presents a roadmap to reopening its airspace during the war. Advocates of pacifism in the West play into Russia’s intent to defeat Ukraine, Anne Applebaum warns in a speech. In its enlargement reports, EU acknowledges Ukraine’s progress, including that on minority rights, hopes to open the talks on fundamentals in 2025.
Ukraine presents roadmap to reopening airspace during the war
The Ministry of Communities and Territorial Development of Ukraine together with the State Aviation Administration, UkSATSE national air navigation services provider, the Ukrainian Air Force Command, and heads of international airports presented a roadmap to reopening Ukrainian airspace under martial law, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Around a hundred industry representatives were in attendance, it added, including those of EU, U.S. and UK aviation regulators, foreign and domestic airlines that operated flights to Ukraine, insurance and leasing companies, and aviation manufacturers.
“This is the first expert discussion that we expect will help us move forward in creating the conditions for opening the airspace,” Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration — Minister for Communities and Territorial Development of Ukraine, Oleksiy Kuleba, said.
“During the war, our strategic objective is to preserve the aviation infrastructure and qualified personnel so that we can resume civilian flights as quickly as possible when the time comes,” he added.
Mary Elizabeth Madden, Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine emphasized U.S. readiness to provide technical assistance for the initiative.
Ministry representatives shared a plan for partial reopening of Ukraine’s air space and risk assessment for passenger flights. Director of UkSATSE, Andriy Yarmak, spoke on safety of air navigation.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Supernova Airlines received an EU license to conduct cargo flights between Kyiv and Prague, and Lviv and Prague seven times a week.
When asked about the prospects of restoring air travel to Ukraine, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi told reporters that Ukraine needs at least one airport to be operational.
In its enlargement reports, EU acknowledges Ukraine’s progress, including that on minority rights, hopes to open talks on fundamentals in 2025
In its enlargement report on Ukraine released Wednesday, the European Commission acknowledged that Ukraine had completed all steps required to get the EU candidate status in 2022, the European Pravda said, citing the report.
“Subject to Ukraine meeting all the conditions, the Commission is looking forward to the opening of negotiations on clusters, starting with the fundamentals, as soon as possible in 2025,” the European Commission said in a statement, accompanying the report.
The draft report on Ukraine gives a positive assessment of Ukraine’s efforts in the field of minority rights, even though Hungary considers Ukraine’s progress insufficient, the European Pravda said. “Ukraine has implemented some key reforms, such as the overhaul of legislation on the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities,” the report reads.
“While noting that the Venice Commission has not pronounced itself on the follow-up given to its recommendation, the Commission considers that Ukraine has taken all the necessary measures,” the European Commission said.
Advocates of pacifism in the West play into Russia’s intent to defeat Ukraine, Anne Applebaum warns in a speech
Prominent American historian and journalist Anne Applebaum urged continued support for Ukraine as she accepted a prestigious German prize Sunday, arguing that pacifism in the face of aggression is often nothing more than appeasement.
The magic of the phrase “never again” has blinded to reality those who advocate pacifism, Applebaum said in her remarks during a ceremony in St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt, where she was honored with the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.
“Some even call for peace by referring solemnly to the ‘lessons of German history’,” she said, continuing that “we have known for nearly a century that a demand for pacifism in the face of an aggressive, advancing dictatorship can simply represent the appeasement and acceptance of that dictatorship.”
“The temptation of pessimism is real. In the face of what feels like an endless war and an onslaught of propaganda, it is easier just to accept the idea of decline. But let’s remember what’s at stake, what the Ukrainians are fighting for – and it is they, not us, who are doing the actual fighting. They are fighting for a society, like ours, where independent courts protect people from arbitrary violence; where the rights to thought and speech and assembly are guaranteed; where citizens are free to engage in public life, and not afraid of the consequences; where security is guaranteed by a broad alliance of democracies and prosperity is anchored by the European Union.”
“Autocrats like the Russian president hate all these principles because they threaten their power. Independent judges can hold rulers to account. A free press can expose high-level corruption. A political system that empowers citizens allows them to change their leaders and international organizations can enforce the rule of law. And that is why the propagandists of autocratic regimes will do what they can to undermine the language of liberalism and the institutions that guard our freedoms, to mock them and to belittle them, inside their own countries and in ours as well,” Applebaum said.Read the full text of the speech here or here.