Those who survived cruelty usually want the same. They want their suffering to be noticed. They demand security – a guarantee that violence will not happen again. They want justice and want the guilty to be held responsible. And above all, they want to influence – they want to be heard, want to shape the way to reconstruction and want to be sure that their suffering will not be forgotten or disregarded.
Since 2014, and especially since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Ukrainians have been experiencing systematic barbarism, crimes against humanity and acts rightly recognized as genocide. Putin and his Kremlin partners unreasonable war, which aimed to erase Ukraine from the world map. Their plan suffered a defeat. Total.
Each peace process must start with the truth. Russia should admit that it began an unjustified war, directly breaking the international law and the United Nations card. This confession must go hand in hand with official apologies and a specific plan for compensation.
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Russia must compensate for Ukraine giant human, economic and environmental losses resulting from its aggression. The destruction of cities and the displacement of millions of people marked the Ukrainian society with a deep trauma. These are not abstract losses – they can be counted. It is estimated that war damage reaches almost 1 trillion of dollars (approx. 3 trillion PLN 620 billion), and Russia must cover these costs in the form of mandatory reparations.
He must also immediately return all abducted Ukrainian children – forced into Russia, institutionalized or illegally adopted. In connection with these acts, the International Criminal Court issued arrest orders, recognizing them as war crimes. There can be no settlement as long as the kidnapped children remain in the hands of the aggressor.
The “Return Every Child” installation, depicting 19,546 paper dolls, each of which represents a child, London, 2025 kidnapped from Ukraine.Pablo Pulp / Avalon / PAP
Stolen Ukrainian artifacts must also come back. The history of Ukraine is unique and is not “Russian” – the plunder of culture cannot be awarded.
Justice requires responsibility. Everyone responsible for planning, enabling and committing war crimes and crimes against humanity – soldiers, commanders, politicians, propagandists or officials – must face court. It is necessary to establish an impartial international tribunal, modeled on Nuremberg processes. The penalty should correspond to the crime.
Ukraine's territorial integrity is non -vulnerable. A durable room is impossible until any part of Ukraine remains under the illegal Russian occupation. Crimea, Donbass and all lands occupied since 2014 must return, in accordance with the international recognized borders of Ukraine of 1991.
And when it comes to toilets stolen by Russian looters – Kyiv will allow them to stop. Let them serve them as a daily reminder of their shameful failure.
“Here is a peace plan – get out of our country!”
However, peace is not only a settlement of the past – it is also a security for the future. Russia must clearly and irrevocably confirm the law of Ukraine to apply for membership in the EU and NATO and to independently decide on its security guarantees.
If Ukraine decides to host foreign troops on its territory – American, Canadian, European or other – this is only Kiev's decision, regardless of whether Putin likes it or not. If Ukraine decides to strengthen its defense potential, including developing a deterrent nuclear weapon, it has full right – without Russian pressure. Sovereignty is not subject to conditions.
The Russian people must face the truth. The international community should support initiatives run by institutions such as UNESCO, which will help dismantle the apparatus of propaganda nursing the Russian aggressive war. Educational and cultural programs must show in detail what was done to Ukraine, just like post -war Germany had to face the heritage of Nazism. Not every Russian is a criminal, but Russia's fault is collective – the time has come for penance.
These demands are not radical. The basic conditions of just peace are clear: full responsibility, complete withdrawal of troops and real compensation. We cannot repeat the concessions in this century. Cheap stalking towards Putin is not a way to the room.
Ukraine not only survived – it persistent, defending her sovereignty and fundamental values of Western civilization: self -determination, rule of law, democracy and human dignity. Refusing Russian imperialism, Ukraine defended Europe and an international order based on law. The sacrifice of Ukrainians require something more than symbolic or half support gestures. Ukraine deserves a room that will be specific, enforceable and durable.
There is a popular meme depicting the President of Ukraine, Wołodymyr Zelanski, who expresses the position of his country clearly: “Here is a peace plan – get out of our country!”. Behind this black humor is a deep truth: only justice leads to peace. Ukraine is not looking for revenge – it wants what every victim of violence needs to heal: truth, responsibility, dignity and freedom from fear. These are reasonable and urgent demands. They must be met because the Ukrainians will not agree – and they cannot agree – to nothing.
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Lubomir Łuciuk is a retired professor of the Royal Military Academy of Canada and an older researcher at the Department of Ukrainian studies at the University of Toronto. On April 28, 2022, he was recognized by the Russian Federation as Persona Non Grata.
The presented views are the author's opinions and do not have to reflect the Kyiv Post position.
