August 7 marks sixteen years since the beginning of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Georgia, due to which hundreds of innocent people were killed, Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia were occupied.

The Russian occupation turned these regions of Georgia into a grey zone without prospects, where lawlessness prevails, and human rights are neglected.

The hostilities stopped in August 2008, but Russia's aggression against Georgia did not end there. Moscow continued the so-called «borderization», which involves creeping annexation of Georgian territory, pressure, propaganda, and other hybrid methods of intervention.

Ukraine supports the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and strongly condemns the Kremlin’s aggressive policy.

Russia must withdraw its forces from the sovereign territory of Georgia in accordance with the 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and cancel the recognition of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as so-called independent states.

Russian imperialism in the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and Europe has remained unchanged for centuries and consists of deep-rooted chauvinism, disrespect for other people, international law, internationally recognized borders, and desire to restore imperial dominance.

Russian aggression against Georgia, and later Ukraine, is only an episode of this long-standing imperial policy of Moscow, which has no right to exist in the 21st century.

We are convinced that only joint efforts of the international community can stop the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation, force it to leave the temporarily occupied territories of Georgia and Ukraine, and bring Russian war criminals to justice for all crimes and atrocities.