Speech by Olga Aivazovska, Chair of the Board of Civil Network OPORA, at the 25th Foreign Policy Conference “Reclaiming Peace? Freedom and Security in a Fragmented World” on September 29, 2025, in Berlin.
After World War II, Europe was lulled into a false sense of security by a cheap peace. However, it is necessary to fear war because we are human beings. At the same time, being afraid and doing nothing means inviting war upon oneself and allowing authoritarian leaders to build strong defensive, security, economic, and diplomatic alliances. From a historical perspective, war is the normal state of humanity, and peace is the exception. Over the past 3,400 years, humanity has lived without war for only 268 years (8% of its history).
Peace in freedom today means defending our rights and freedoms on the battlefield. Lasting peace can only be built through a fair peace, when the aggressor is punished and loses.
International law cannot function effectively without global police officers, prosecutors, and judges. Unfortunately, the quality of these judges and prosecutors has significantly declined in recent decades. The “bad guys” all over the world are trying to break the world order.
The ineffective system of deterring aggressors by attempting to find common ground with their interests and needs has led to the erosion of the fragile world order. Russia will continue to intimidate Europe so that it is paralysed in self-defence and in helping Ukraine. That is why they continue intimidation by drones. That is why Russia is so active.
These drones do not have any ammunition, but they are trying to disseminate the fear that none of you are ready to fight because you want to continue to live your regular life. However, we must recognise that the global order has changed. We haven't lost our values; we are ready to protect democracy and human rights. This is about our regular daily work.
The drones without ammunition will not destroy your economy and kill your civilians, but if you don’t react, this will mean that Russia will continue to be as aggressive as possible.
We saw such activity many decades ago, during Kuchma's presidency. Back then, Russia was already trying to encroach on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula and Tuzla Island, using manipulation and threats, but it was still too weak to carry out a full-scale invasion. Then came the “Kolchuga” scandal, which pushed the West away from Ukraine, and this played perfectly into the hands of the Russians.
Every piece of land that the Russians occupy in Ukraine or anywhere else will fall under their control and will be used as a military base for further aggression. When Crimea was occupied, no one thought it would become a tourist paradise—Crimea became a new military base that is now helping to shell other territories of Ukraine.
On the night of September 28th, we were attacked by 600 drones carrying munitions—these were not fake drones. The majority of them were targeted at my city, Kyiv. My son was there. Approximately 40 missiles were fired across the territory of Ukraine. And I'm still asking you: try to be as brave as possible; otherwise, this war will not only fail to end for Ukraine but will also unfold further across the continent. The aggressor can only be stopped by force. Fear motivates him to continue and take everything he can reach.
We must remember from history: human resources that fall under Russian control in the occupied Ukrainian territories will be used against NATO. The generations of Ukrainian children who were occupied in 2014 in Donetsk and Luhansk and subjected to militarization and “re-education” are now fighting against Ukrainians as part of the Russian army. Therefore, if the larger territories of Ukraine will be occupied, of course, this will cause huge migration from Ukraine to Europe, but the majority of men and boys will be involved into bigger war again. The whole of Europe will suffer, so let’s stop Russia where it is now.
My last point is about justice. There can be no peace without justice, and Germany is aware of this. Liberal democracies and electoral democracies must have tools to defend themselves. I'm proud of Moldova today. My best congratulations to Moldova, a smart, very small country, without a strong economy, with a significant energy system issue, with a substantial portion of the population still loyal to Moscow, who sell their votes, and a substantial shadow investment in the policy and electoral processes. Moldova defeated Russia yesterday. This means that even if you don't have enough resources but have brains and an honest position “We are willing to defend our democracy”, you will win.
We will have to pay the price, and this price is a reflection of our readiness to fight for justice. The tribunal against Putin was established. The idea of the tribunal was discussed in Germany two to three years ago, when I was in Berlin. There was a huge debate about potential punishment, as the crime of aggression was obvious, but the majority was not ready to discuss this topic. Now the tribunal is established, so let's give it a chance to be effective. Putin has to be punished. Frozen assets, which are in Europe, must be spent for our common security—it's Russian money.
Russia must pay for the war and for security in Europe, as well as for the destruction in Ukraine. The sovereign frozen assets, which amount to over 300 billion dollars and are at your disposal, should be directed toward this.
Another point: a fair peace means giving Ukrainians a chance to save their dignity. Because if you believe that giving Russia parts of our territory will end the war, this means that you know nothing about Russia, its motivation, and this war, which is part of the general security for Europe. Ukrainians are suffering from shelling each night and are scared because we are human beings, but we are ready to fight. NATO's slogan was once: “Are you ready to fight tonight?” Ask yourselves that.
Two years ago, during the Munich Security Conference, I had a brief conversation with the Minister of Defence of Germany, Boris Pistorius, and he said, “You will never walk alone.” I hope that this positive message will evolve into broader programs, resources, and support for the defence sector, which will help us work together to survive.