Yuliia Paievska, founder of the medical evacuation unit ‘Angels of Tiara’ and winner of the 2022 Sakharov Prize with the Ukrainian people (see EUROPE 13046/6), told EUROPE on Thursday (10 November) that it was important to develop a strategy to counter Russian propaganda.
“Russian propaganda is still strong on European territory”, she regretted. Ms Paievska, known as ‘Tiara’, also called on the EU not to underestimate Russia. “Perhaps people here do not realise what Russian aggression means. It is not only Ukraine, Russia wants to go further: in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. All the way to Berlin”, she warned.
Moreover, while acknowledging the military assistance provided by the Europeans, Ms Paievska called for more, adding that what Ukraine needed most was weapons and anti-aircraft defences. “We are not asking for your soldiers to fight on our territory, we can do it ourselves, but we don’t have enough weapons to take back the occupied territories”, she said.
In addition, Tiara advocated for Russia to be recognised as a terrorist state. “If this is done, it will not be possible for any other country to cooperate with Russia”, she said. A resolution to this effect is expected to be voted on in the European Parliament plenary from 21 to 24 November.
When asked by EUROPE about her detention by the Russians (from 16 March to 17 June 2022), Ms Paievska described the “inhuman” conditions in which she lived. According to her, illegally imprisoned civilian women - just like men - are like “slaves”, “nothing is allowed”. She explained that everything was done to make the illegally detained civilians think about suicide or to drive them crazy. Tiara called on the EU to demand respect for humanitarian rules and to defend these illegally imprisoned people. In her view, the EU could provide or create legal assistance to these civilians.
Referring to her medical evacuation unit, established in 2014, Ms Paievska said that this humanitarian mission was on hiatus, as all equipment had been destroyed. For their part, the participants continue their actions within the Ukrainian armed forces. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)