Force Russia to Make Peace, Zelenskyy Urges West

Click to watch the trailer of "Freedom on Fire"

UKRAINE: Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden has provided military, humanitarian, and civil support, contributing around € 3.2 billion since February 2022. Additionally, Sweden, alongside the EU, has implemented macroeconomic support and several sanctions packages against Russia. Sweden is committing an additional $7 billion in military aid to Ukraine over the next three years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Sweden's long-term support last week, when also other countries like Belgium and Spain committed resources and fighter jets. The USA and Germany have taken first steps to allow the use of their weapons also on Russian soil in order to stop attacks on Ukraine from across the border. On June 11 & 12 Germany will host the Ukraine recovery conference.

“It will strengthen not only us, not only Ukraine but the entire European perimeter from the Baltic to the Black Sea. There can be no alternative. Ukraine needs systems and tactics that will allow us to protect our positions, our cities, and our communities from these bombs" Zelensky said, according to Reuters.

The war in Ukraine continues to escalate, with Russia launching a renewed ground offensive along the northeastern border, opening a new front in the conflict. This offensive has led to intense battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the embattled town of Vovchansk, as Moscow seeks to put pressure on Ukraine's overstretched military.

During his speech in Spain, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the West to compel Russia to seek peace, emphasising the need for "tangible coercion" from Ukraine's allies. Zelenskyy's call comes as Russia claims to have captured five villages in the northeastern region, leading to the evacuation of over 1,700 civilians.

The need for effective diplomacy, humanitarian support, and long-term strategies for peace becomes ever more critical. The international community must continue to support efforts to end the conflict and assist in the recovery and rebuilding of Ukraine. The situation remains fluid and volatile, with the potential for further escalation and shifting dynamics. As the world watches, the path forward remains uncertain, but the stakes have never been higher.

Crafted from stark footage and exclusive interviews with people displaced by the enduring conflict, the Oscar and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky’s film “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” reveals how the spirit of unity strengthens morale even amid the country’s darkest hours.

When Vladimir Putin launched the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, its citizens instinctively renewed the survival strategies that sustained them eight years prior during the Maidan Uprising. “Freedom on Fire - Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom”, the companion piece to director Evgeny Afineevsky’s Academy Award Nominated documentary “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom”, explores why a jubilant day on Kyiv’s Maidan square instigated warfare that has lasted the better part of a decade. Broadening his focus from a single city, Afineevsky and his veteran “Winter on Fire” crew, turn their lenses on multiple countries, trailing both the Ukrainians trying to escape and those who have vowed to stay behind.

A sweeping look at a humanitarian crisis, the documentary amplifies the views of children, mothers, soldiers, doctors, artists, volunteers, clergymen, and journalists who are transformed while witnessing ceaseless destruction and bloodshed. Featuring narration from Oscar-winning Dame Helen Mirren, “Freedom on Fire” is a saga of resilience that challenges the international community to oppose tyranny together.

Cinema for Peace hosted a special honouring of His Holiness Pope Francis, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Evgeny Afineevsky at the Vatican. This was the first time that two global leaders and one filmmaker were honoured with a joint award dedicated to the children who lost their lives in the invasion of Ukraine. The three awards have an engraving of pictures of three innocent children who were killed on March 08, 2022, by a missile — Obodzinsky Volodymir (14 years old), Deyneko Nicol (1-year-old), and Deyneko Denis (1-year-old). The father of these children who lost his entire family to the war, Volodymyr Obidzinskyi, accompanied Cinema for Peace at the honouring and the film screening and mentioned that he now finds solace in believing that his wife and children are in heaven. The audience shared the pain with him and were in tears.

The film was initially nominated for the Cinema for Peace Dove 2023.