We strongly condemn the invasion of Ukraine, calling for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal, and express our solidarity with the people and cooperatives of Ukraine

 　The military invasion by the Russian government is fundamentally destroying the lives of the Ukrainian people and the industries that support their livelihoods including agriculture and the energy industry, and the damage is going to be devastating for years to come. This is unacceptable under the international law and from a humanitarian standpoint. Furthermore, the fact that the Russian leader has made statements that seem to presuppose the use of nuclear weapons and that the Russian military is reportedly attacking nuclear power plants cannot be overlooked by the people of Japan, the only nation hit by atomic bombs and still suffering from the nuclear accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

　Cooperatives are based on people-to-people ties and mutual assistance and have been aiming to contribute to the realization of peace through our business and activities. From this standpoint, we strongly condemn the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian government and call for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal. We also strongly urge the international community, including Russia, to step forward toward dialogue and peaceful resolution as soon as possible.

　Colleagues of the Ukrainian cooperatives continue to work to protect the lives of their people in the face of threats to their lives and the foundations of their businesses. We express our solidarity with the dedicated work of our Ukrainian colleagues and express our commitment to support them in any way we can, together with the cooperatives in Japan and around the world that are trying to save our Ukrainian colleagues.

23 March 2022
Japan Co-operative Alliance (JCA)