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This week in Brussels, the European Parliament solemnly marked a date that few would have believed possible in 2022: 1,000 long days of courage, leadership, sacrifice and suffering of the Ukrainian people have passed since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

One thing is certain: the next 1,000 days of war will be as uncertain and lethal as the first, because even if the missiles stop and hostilities end with Trump's arrival in the White House, the devastating effects of the Russian occupation will be felt for many years to come. The situation in the territories occupied by Russia requires particular attention and international condemnation.

Putin's human rights record is dismal

Despite being a leader often described as irrational, Putin's objectives in this war have, ironically, always been well-defined: behind the goals of ‘denazification’ and demands for Ukrainian neutrality, and under the veil of supposed peace outlines, Russia's real intention is the eradication of an entire nation-state. It's about abusing, killing and erasing an independent and autonomous national identity, replacing values, government and language with the moulds of the Russian empire.

For a leader who cares little for human rights, and with the Russian occupation of around 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory, we are seeing disturbing reports denouncing potential war crimes committed by the Russian military, the suffering of displaced populations and the disappearance of thousands of Ukrainians.

Although it's not the subject of this text, it's worth reading about Putin's human rights record at home in Russia (namely classifying the LGBT movement as an “extremist organisation”).

Uncovering atrocities in occupied territories

Among the crimes committed, sexual violence against Ukrainians perpetrated by Russian soldiers occupies a prominent place due to its nature and impact.

• Data from organisations such as the UN and the OSCE show that testimonies from survivors of sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers are rare, as trauma, stigmatisation and the difficulty of access to occupied territories block documentation and accountability.

• Even so, a recent UN Security Council report on sexual violence in armed conflict highlights 85 cases in Ukraine in 2023, and Ukrainian prosecutors have documented around 300 cases of rape and other acts of sexual violence, which include women and children, but also men as victims.

• The Global Survivors Fund estimates that the real number of those targeted is in the thousands.

Sexual violence against Ukrainian civilians and military personnel may take the form of rape, sexual slavery, genital mutilation, beatings and forced witnessing of abuse. The consequences are devastating and last over time: at the very least, it constitutes physical and psychological violence; at the most, it can be a tool of genocide. We have seen this in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and Ukraine’s case remains to be fully documented.

• Cases such as forced pregnancies, restricted abortions and the kidnapping of Ukrainian children and women are instruments of war that contribute to the virtual disappearance of entire populations and to demographic changes.

• This strategy is aggravated by the destruction of hospitals and medical infrastructure by the Russians, making it impossible for the victims to find support.

Beyond the immediate brutality, sexual violence in the context of war has lasting effects that demand a commitment to reconstruction and human dignity, including financial reparations and compensation that are essential to guarantee physical, psychological and economic support for the victims.

In the words of Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, recognising the violation of human rights is the first indispensable step towards restoring justice for the people who suffer and resist – and Russia must pay for these processes.

Ukraine's allies, for their part, bear the responsibility of ensuring that their support in the future includes prioritising human rights, recognising them as a pillar of reconstruction.

Slava Ukraini and long live Europe!

Growing in and out of your 9 to 5

I've spent the last month reading and reading and reading about elections and geopolitics, so I really haven't had much time for personal growth (and barely had time to do my 5-minute journal).

Here's my list of recommended reading on what's happening in the world:

• The Most Feared and Least Known Political Operative in America @ POLITICO

• Deterring the Nuclear Dictators @ Foreign Affairs

• The problem of politics in a noisy age @ Financial Times

• How to survive the broligarchy: 20 lessons for the post-truth world @ The Guardian

• [in Portuguese] Diana Soller: Direita moderada, mais tarde ou mais cedo, vai dizer sim ao Chega” @ Sol

• The uncertain outlook for European security @ The Economist

• Putin Isn’t Fighting for Land in Ukraine @ The Atlantic

• Trump broke the Democrats’ thermostat @ Financial Times

• Joe Biden loses to Xi Jinping in battle for Latin America @ Financial Times

• The Democrats Are the HR Department of Political Parties @ The Atlantic

• Just published and I will soon be ordering a copy of ‘Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope and the Human Spirit’ @ Amazon or at your local bookshop

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