Opposition condemns any aggression in Ukraine by Russian forces - Hanna

As the international community braces amid tension between Russia and Ukraine, the Opposition People's National Party says it condemns any aggression in Ukraine by Russian forces.

In a statement, Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Lisa Hanna said the Opposition is deeply concerned about Russia's current intimidating posture to circle Ukraine with an overwhelming military force.

“This is a dangerous threat by Russia that seeks to undermine the Ukraine government to act against its security interests, which could destabilise Europe and, by extension, the entire world,” said Hanna.

“Furthermore, invading Ukraine and unleashing misery on the freedom-loving people of that sovereign country is a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. Global leaders who have a sense of civility and respect for the sanctity of life and humanity should stridently engage towards a diplomatic resolution," she added.

The opposition spokesperson lamented the perilous state the world would plunge into should war ensue.

“Not only would the world's largest economies impose financial sanctions on Russian banks and other financial institutions, denying them access to global financial markets, but the sanctions would also prohibit businesses in the west from trading with Russia. Should this happen, Jamaica and Guyana, which have Russian investments in bauxite and alumina, would suffer severe upheavals,” Hanna noted.

“Moreover, these sanctions would target the Russian oil and gas industry. With global oil prices already high, cutting Russian oil and gas from global supplies would only complicate global oil supplies and drive prices even higher,” she continued.

Hanna is calling for the Government to publicly affirm Jamaica's pledge to the principles of sovereignty and inviolability of territorial integrity of each state and the country's commitment to the multilateral system for peaceful settlement of disputes and the protection of vulnerable states.

"Jamaica must stand up and make its voice heard in the global arena on this issue. We must at all times seek to do the right thing and urge for peaceful and diplomatic resolutions when people's physical lives are hanging in the balance. We must never abrogate our responsibility to be on the right side of history as war cannot be the answer, especially now when the world is seeking to recalibrate from the ravages of the COVID pandemic."

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