As the war against Ukraine enters its second year, the collective Stand with Ukraine, which has been working for more than a year to raise awareness among French and European populations of the fate of this country, to collect donations, to help Ukrainian refugees and prepare the reconstruction, organizes this Friday, February 24 a large gathering place of the Republic, in Paris, from 6 to 8 p.m. “We do not see abandonment, but donations have dropped, says Edward Mayor, co-founder of the collective. We are working hard to build lasting support for Ukraine, because it is our cause to all, the battle of an entire generation.”
L’Express: This Friday evening, you will be at Place de la République, in Paris, to protest against Russian aggression. How was your collective, Stand with Ukraine, born?
Edward Major: The idea was born on the evening of Vladimir Putin’s speech on February 21, 2022, in which he denied the existence of the Ukrainian nation. We already had clues that the Russian army was going to invade Ukraine, but we understood that evening that it was imminent. Our calling? Mobilize French and European civil society by organizing cross-party demonstrations. For us, this question is crucial. Ukraine is the cause of all and transcends our European societies.
So that everyone feels concerned, our objective was first to make Ukraine better known to all French people and Europeans, citizens and decision-makers, and to work to ensure that support for Ukraine is greater. . Apart from the demonstrations, we lead cultural events: concerts, installation of a 20 meter high fresco next to Beaubourg, with Marianne holding a Ukrainian flag or, from this February 24, an exhibition on the Place de l’Hôtel de city with young Ukrainian female photographers.
We also work with the French Parliament. Last June, we proposed to all legislative candidates the signing of a charter on Ukraine. More than 200 candidates signed it. This charter led to the vote of a resolution in support of Ukraine in the National Assembly last fall. We also organize many trips to Ukraine with French politicians. When you see the massacres of Boutcha and Irpin, you come back transformed. We no longer have the same outlook and we understand that this battle is our battle: a cultural, social battle, that of our generation. Contrary to what personalities like Hubert Védrine may say, the war in Ukraine is anything but a territorial battle. The Russians are waging a war with genocidal intent against Ukraine. The first thing they do in the territories they occupy is to destroy school books, museums and erase all traces of the Ukrainian nation. Their goal is clear: to erase the Ukrainian nation and identity from the face of the earth. Look at the concentration camps they set up, listen to their speech saying that it will take at least 30 years to “re-educate” the Ukrainians…
The political class is not unanimous…
It’s true… We filed a complaint for defamation against Ségolène Royal following her appearances on television and her tweets in which she claimed that the bombing of the Mariupol maternity hospital never happened. The procedure is underway. We hope to be able to have victims testify on the stand. It is not a crusade against Ségolène Royal, but against the principle that a leading French political personality makes Holocaust deniers. This instills doubt in the minds of the French. We had to score.
Can you quantify the support given to Ukraine by French NGOs, including yours?
It’s very complicated because it involves many initiatives, not necessarily coordinated. In the early days of the war, we saw an enormous level of solidarity from French and Westerners. The way the French welcomed the Ukrainians is incredible! Before the war, some people hardly knew how to place Ukraine on a map… At the beginning, people gave a lot. Today, we see a drop in donations, but the movement continues [L’aide humanitaire de la France s’élève à 316 millions d’euros (0,013 % du PIB), selon l’institut Kiel (février 2023), soit le 8e rang des pays donateurs, NDLR]. There are many local initiatives, small associations which act locally, such as Safe, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, which has just sent its 100th semi-trailer truck of 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukraine (clothing , medical equipment, food), donated by French individuals and companies. We should also mention the charitable association Aide Médicale France Ukraine, which sends ambulances, medicines, bandages and tourniquets in incredible quantities.
What are the most important needs?
There are more than 7 million internally displaced people in Ukraine. These refugees, who have sometimes lost everything, have significant needs for food, water and clothing. Needs obviously change with the seasons. The emergency of the last few months was the generators. When it’s minus 10 degrees, there’s no light, no heating… In November, we launched a major campaign aimed at the mayors of French cities, “Lights for winter”, to respond at the call of Zelensky who requested the sending of generators to Ukraine. For their part, French cities also asked us to find out how they can help. Sending generators is very concrete, it’s not very expensive – the ones we send cost between 500 and 5,000 euros – but we immediately understand that this will make it possible to light a school, a maternity ward, heating a hospital, housing, a business, etc.
This campaign has created links between French and Ukrainian cities. For us, this is one of the best ways to generate lasting support. Because it is much more complicated to abandon someone whose name, face, story you know, with whom you have exchanged. And tomorrow, we hope that these links can lead to reconstruction projects with French communities and companies. Ukraine needs support in the reconstruction and this will not only pass through the States and large groups, local initiatives will also be welcome.
Finally, needs change according to developments on the front. If the Russians break into Ukrainian territories, there will be new waves of refugees. If the Ukrainians succeed in making progress, it will be necessary to rebuild the liberated territories. We will have to reinstall the Ukrainian state, start everything from scratch: the police, the firefighters, the municipal teams, the tax service, the hospitals…
Has French society’s view of this conflict changed?
Personally, I lived in Ukraine for several years, I came back in 2019, I had a business in Ukraine. I knew the romanticism, the creativity, the kindness, the fighting spirit of the Ukrainians. But what has erupted in the face of the world since February 24 is their courage, their self-sacrifice, their incredible strength, the lesson in courage they give us on a daily basis. Starting with Zelensky, this clown who becomes an incredible warlord… I am struck by their coolness. They have a very fair analysis of what is going on. They have understood that this is a fight for values. They are driven by this mission and carry it out with incredible dignity. It is a revelation for the whole world and it questions us: how would we react in such a situation?
How many Ukrainian refugees has France taken in over the past year?
According to the latest official figures, France has granted 115,000 temporary protections to Ukrainians. This figure tends to stagnate or increase slowly. The measures put in place in France for Ukrainian refugees are of a very good standard and the Ukrainians are very grateful to France for this solidarity. When the Ukrainians arrived in February, Ukrainian children had to be educated in French schools. We insisted that these students always have a Ukrainian education, in addition to French lessons. Because if they no longer learn the Ukrainian language and culture, Putin has won. That’s his goal, to wipe out the Ukrainian nation…
If these Ukrainian children become completely French, there is no more Ukraine. So we got Ukrainian teachers, often refugees, who are paid by the rectorate of Paris to give a few hours of lessons a week to these children. The majority of these refugees want to return to Ukraine. Most of the people who have arrived here since February are women with their children. Their husband, their home is in Ukraine. These separated families are eager to reunite. Some may stay here, and that will be an asset for France.