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Topic:
Ukraine Aid
Country:
United States
Issue:
Article ID:
33
Title:
Opinion: I won the Nobel Peace Prize. Now I'm asking the US to send missiles to Ukraine.
Author:
Oleksandra Matviichuk
Date:
October 17, 0204
Source:
USA Today
Reference:
Summary:
Quotes:
I have found since the unprovoked Russian invasion of my country that you cannot wave the Geneva Conventions in front of a Russian tank. You cannot use the United Nations Charter to stop the raping and kidnapping. You cannot defeat evil without bravery to resist it. Global freedom and human rights are under attack, and Ukraine is the front line to protecting democracies and civil liberties across the globe. The world’s democratic countries must work together to counter increasing aggression from authoritarian regimes hellbent on suppressing freedom. In 2023, global freedom declined for the 18th consecutive year, with a fifth of the world’s population experiencing reduced political and civil rights. To put this in perspective, only 20% live in countries where they have the freedom to vote in fair elections, freedom to practice their choice of religion and freedom to live without violence... Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, said about the global trends we’re seeing today: “Global freedom took a big step backward in 2023. ... If democracies do not respond to these challenges, more of the global population will be denied fundamental liberties in the years ahead, ultimately affecting peace, prosperity, security, and freedom for everyone.” Nearly 38% of the world’s people now live in countries rated “Not Free,” 42% live in “Partly Free” countries and only 20% live in “Free” countries. To break this down further, those who have the freedom to exercise their voting rights, voice their opinions, love freely and practice their choice of religions are in the minority across the globe... Ukraine desperately needs more weapons to defend itself and the world against the Russian empire. As President Ronald Reagan said, freedom is “never more than one generation away from extinction.” Without action, access to freedom and fundamental human rights will continue to decline... Authoritarian leaders such as Putin are deliberately subverting rights and working to create a world devoid of freedom − a world run by despots and antidemocratic regimes. Today, autocracies outnumber democracies 74 to 63, according to the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index... Global freedom is on the line, and if we don’t act swiftly, history will not look kindly at the West’s hesitation... Arming Ukraine with the tools it needs to counter Russian aggression will allow us to continue to stand up for global democratic values and ensure that Putin knows democracies will not go down without a fight. Democracies must win wars.
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