Caricom, OAS condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The Caribbean Community and the Organisation of American States have both condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine early Thursday.
The assault began hours before dawn with a series of missile attacks against locations near the capital Kyiv, as well as the use of long-range artillery against the city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border. It quickly spread across central and eastern Ukraine as Russian forces attacked the country from three sides. The BBC reported that footage from locations around the country shows how some of the violence has unfolded, including a fireball as missile hit an airport in western Ukraine, a Russian helicopter coming under fire and pre-dawn explosions close to the city of Kharkiv.
In a statement on Thursday Caricom said the recognition by The Russian Federation of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk represents a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. “The hostilities against Ukraine go counter to the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state and the prohibition on the threat or use of force, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, which are the bedrock of this Community,” the regional bloc said. “CARICOM maintains that the principles of universal respect and adherence to these norms and principles of international law are fundamental to the maintenance of the international system and global peace and security. CARICOM calls on all parties involved to urgently embark on intensified diplomatic dialogue to immediately de-escalate hostilities and work towards a sustainable peace,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) also condemns the invasion of Ukraine and calls for an immediate cessation of the hostilities. “Russian aggression constitutes a crime against international peace. The armed attack perpetrated against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is reprehensible and constitutes a very serious act in violation of international law. Aggression has been defined as the “supreme international crime” and it undoubtedly constitutes an attack against the peace and security of humanity, as well as civilized relations between States,” the OAS said.