Under the circumstances when Russia called fundamentals of collective security into question by its aggression against Ukraine, the West should set “resuscitation” and restoration of a strong Ukraine as its strategic goal.

In its relations with the West, Russia proceeds from the “beat the weak one” principle, believing that the West is in decay. It is this approach that provoked Russia’s aggression against Georgia in 2008 and aggression against Ukraine in 2014 to which Moscow did receive an appropriate response.

The Ukrainian people will emerge victorious from this face-off provoked by the RF aggression, and it will be the end of Putin’s Russia and a gift of freedom to the Russian people itself. This was emphasized by Giorgi Baramidze, Vice Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament, former Vice Prime Minister of Georgia (2006-2012) during the 7th Kyiv Security Forum on Friday.

Tim Judah, reporter of The Economist, a British weekly, who specializes in the Balkans situation, believes that comparing annexation of Crimea with declaration of Kosovo’s independence is incorrect, as he stated during the 7th Kyiv Security Forum.

As one of the Euromaidan’s victory achievements, civil society in Ukraine now can already shape a political agenda, and authorities defer to these initiatives.

‘Reality is that the Black Sea region is a permanent battlefield’, Tevan Poghosyan, member of the Armenian Parliament and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, stated at the 7th Kyiv Security Forum.

Oleksii Haran, professor at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, believes that timely use of sanctions by the Western countries against Ukraine’s ex-leaders could have prevented any bloodshed on the Maidan, as he stated during the 7th Kyiv Security Forum.

The Ukrainian people who revolted against the dictatorship, striving to live better, should demonstrate that it is possible to create in the region a country which will be an attractive alternative to President Vladimir Putin’s Russia. That is, a country where a multilateral dialog between authorities and civil society is possible. Therewith, Kyiv should be at the cutting edge of this process.

Oleksii Haran, professor at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, believes that, unlike the 2004 events, civil society is trying to really control authorities after Euromaidan, as he stated during the 7th Kyiv Security Forum.

Over 2000 Ukrainian citizens and foreigners have become victims of crimes against humanity committed by Yanukovych regime during the violent suppression of peaceful protests in the period of November 21, 2013 to February 22, 2014.