You're reading: Poroshenko in Istanbul: Russia is nuke power seeing democracy as threat, freedom as poison

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has urged the international community to stand by the principles of liberty, democracy and human rights.

“[At present] there is hostility between those who play by the rules and those who believe that the rules don’t really exist,” the Ukrainian president said at the high-level leaders’ roundtable held as part of the UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 23.

“The dream of a harmonious world is farther away today than it seemed yesterday. Not because we failed to fulfill this dream, but because it wasn’t a dream to everyone. We are back on the verge of a major hostility. It’s not the hostility between ‘the west’ and ‘the rest’. It’s the hostility between those who seek harmony and those who seek domination,” the Ukrainian president said.

“We see it very clearly in today’s Russia is a nuclear nation that sees democracy as a threat and freedom as a poison. This situation is not about a different interpretation. It’s about different goals,” Poroshenko said.

In his words, the west seeks more harmony to be able to survive and prosper together, Russia, on the other hand, seeks more influence and refuses to think in terms of win-win globally.

“Let’s be honest: we don’t have a remedy to this problem yet. The disillusionment and cynicism are spreading,” the president said.

Poroshenko said that the world of democracy and freedom can’t tolerate the redrawing of borders and crushing of the rights of minorities.

The president said that freedom, democracy, free speech, basic human rights are the invaluable assets, not commodities.

“What you fight for is what you are. So, let’s stand our ground! Let’s stick to freedom and human rights!” Poroshenko urged.

“Let’s stand tall in the face of those who challenge our values – and not make deals with them,” the Ukrainian president said.