Hold high-level negotiations now, and bring the bloodshed in Ukraine to an end | Opinion

I believe in the power of reason and in the strength of dialogue.

In an ideal world, every conflict or difference between countries would be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. The use of military force should always be the last resort.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a flagrant violation of international law and the charter of the United Nations. In the 12 days that have passed since the beginning of Russia’s aggression by land, air and sea against the Ukrainian people, we have only heard about sanctions for the Russians, high-ranking government officials, important state institutions and Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.

On the other hand, countless governments and international organizations have extended a generous hand to Ukraine’s people, suffering the dire consequences of a ruthless attack against them and their country.

The main cry, however, is for sending them all the weapons possible so that brave Ukrainians can face Russian tanks and aircraft. This indicates that this war will last for a long time.

There have been sporadic meetings on the border of Belarus and Ukraine between officials from both sides, but at a low level and without decision-making power on important issues.

The time has come to go to the negotiating table to dialogue and negotiate a cease-fire as soon as possible; one that silences the cannons and allows the sides to reach agreements that lead to the end of this conflict. Escalating the conflict will not resolve this war.

Having reached agreements in the Central American wars of the 1980s taught me that the interlocutors must be of the highest level. On Aug. 7, 1987, the presidents of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica reached an agreement around my government’s Peace Plan that silenced the weapons.

Today, I ask the heads of government of Ukraine, Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom to sit down and negotiate as soon as possible in order to reach a cease-fire that ends the bloodshed and puts an end to the conflict.

Óscar Arias Sánchez was president of Costa Rica from 1986 to 1990 and from 2006 to 2010. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his efforts to end the Central American conflict.

This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 8:39 PM.