European commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 30 January 2025 (7th sitting) (see Doc. 16106, report of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy,
rapporteur: Ms Miapetra Kumpula-Natri). Text
adopted by the Assembly on 30 January 2025 (7th sitting).
1. The Council of Europe is the institutional
embodiment of the ideal of peace and unity on the European continent.
However, this ideal continues to be dramatically challenged. For
more than a decade, Ukraine has bravely defended itself against
Russian aggression that began in 2014 and escalated into an unprovoked,
full-scale war of aggression in 2022.
2. The Russian Federation continues to violate international
law, including the Charter of the United Nations, through the continuation
of its aggression, its attacks on critical infrastructure and civilian
populations, the displacement of millions of people, the illegal
deportation of children, human rights violations, in particular against
the population in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,
and executions of prisoners of war.
3. The Russian Federation has also strengthened its military
co-operation with States seeking to undermine the international
rules-based order, notably through agreements with Iran and the
deployment of soldiers of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
(“North Korea”) in this war of aggression. Hybrid warfare tactics
employed by the Russian Federation through cyberattacks, arson,
disinformation campaigns and sabotage further threaten Europe’s
security, including its energy and communications infrastructure.
The Russian Federation’s efforts to interfere in the political processes
of Council of Europe member States also pose a growing threat to
democratic security in Europe.
4. The Summit on Peace in Ukraine, organised by Switzerland in
Bürgenstock on 15 and 16 June 2024, based on the Ukrainian peace
formula, was the most significant diplomatic initiative to date
to inspire a future peace process. Its joint communiqué outlined
several key priorities for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting
peace in Ukraine: nuclear safety and security, food security and
a human dimension. The follow-up conference held in Montreal in
October 2024 defined concrete steps to support the return of prisoners
of war, unlawfully detained civilians and deported children.
5. Intensified diplomatic efforts towards peace must support
and complement the principle of “peace through strength” as outlined
by the Ukrainian authorities. The principle stresses, inter alia, that sustainable peace
negotiations can only be conducted from a position of resilience
and robust defensive capacity, and that a just and lasting peace
can only be secured by adequate security guarantees for Ukraine.
Any peace negotiations must involve Ukraine and respect its right
to determine its own future.
6. In a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment, now is a critical
juncture for Ukraine and Europe. European leaders should reinforce
European unity and strengthen support for Ukraine. They should act urgently
and maximise efforts to support a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,
Europe’s long-term security and Ukraine’s European future.
7. Continued support to Ukraine is also crucial in order to strengthen
its capacity to effectively uphold human rights, the rule of law
and democracy, which remain key to its resilience, recovery and
reconstruction.
8. In the light of these considerations, the Parliamentary Assembly:
8.1 refers to its previous resolutions
addressing the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation against
Ukraine, which constitutes a blatant violation of Ukraine’s independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity. It reaffirms its unequivocal
condemnation of this war of aggression;
8.2 strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s recourse to
North Korea to provide troops to fight against the Ukrainian army,
which is an escalation of the war of aggression and a further violation
of international law;
8.3 calls for unwavering European commitment and unity in
support of Ukraine and a just and lasting peace;
8.4 believes that a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is indispensable
for the security of the entire European continent and, more broadly,
the world;
8.5 stresses that any peace negotiations must involve Ukraine
and respect its right to determine its own future, including its
sovereign right to continue its integration into the European Union,
as well as membership in other international organisations;
8.6 considers that any settlement must uphold the principles
of international law, including the right to national sovereignty
and territorial integrity, as well as the right of the victim of
aggression to full reparation or compensation of the damage caused;
8.7 reiterates the need to ensure accountability in the context
of the Russian Federation’s aggression, notably through the establishment
of a comprehensive compensation mechanism and a special tribunal
to prosecute Russian and Belarusian leaders for the crime of aggression
against Ukraine;
8.8 recognises that a position of resilience and robust defensive
capacity is necessary to conduct sustainable peace negotiations
(“peace through strength”);
8.9 reiterates its solidarity with the Ukrainian people, pays
tribute to their courage and resilience and calls for the immediate
return of prisoners of war, unlawfully detained civilians and deported
children, as well as the safe return of forcibly displaced persons,
including children;
8.10 calls for increased humanitarian assistance to address
the urgent needs of civilians affected by the war of aggression;
8.11 recognises and supports the tireless efforts of civilians,
volunteers and non-governmental organisations in their support of
Ukrainian society;
8.12 recognises that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is
a decisive enabler of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression
against Ukraine and calls upon the PRC to cease providing a lifeline
to the Russian war machine;
8.13 recognises that Vladimir Putin shall be held accountable
for the numerous acts of terror that have been committed against
the civilian population under his rule.
9. The Assembly also refers to its
Resolutions 2558 (2024) “Countering
the erasure of cultural identity in war and peace” and
2540 (2024) “Alexei
Navalny’s death and the need to counter Vladimir Putin’s totalitarian regime
and its war on democracy”, which address,
inter
alia, Vladimir Putin’s totalitarian regime and its war
on democracy, as well as the necessity to counter the erasure of
cultural identity in war and peace; it believes that a lasting peace
is only possible if the Russian Federation abandons its imperial
ambitions and performs decolonisation.
10. The Assembly reiterates the need for the member States of
the Council of Europe to prioritise investment in their own defence
industries, ensuring that the production and development of military
equipment and strengthening co-operation in this field enhance European
self-reliability and defence autonomy, which will also strengthen
regional security.
11. Consequently, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member
States, as well as relevant European institutions and international
partners to:
11.1 remain resolute
and united to secure Ukraine’s future within a stable, secure and
united Europe, as the outcome of the war against Ukraine will strongly
affect the future of European and global security;
11.2 maintain and, where necessary, enhance their comprehensive
support to Ukraine, including political, economic and military support,
to strengthen Ukraine’s position in any future peace negotiations and
to uphold regional security and European values;
11.3 strengthen the current sanctions regime against the Russian
Federation, its allies and their political and military leaderships,
as outlined in
Resolution
2557 (2024) “The role of sanctions in countering the
Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine”, by adopting
the following measures:
11.3.1 reduce the oil price cap,
enlarge the listing of the Russian “shadow fleet” vessels and improve
the actions taken against them, and completely ban the import of
liquified natural gas and pipeline gas from Russia;
11.3.2 enlarge the scope of sanctions to target a wider range
of Russian economic sectors, pipeline gas and agricultural, metallurgical
and nuclear industries;
11.3.3 identify and improve targeted sanctions on individuals
associated with Russian elites, including those who may directly
or indirectly benefit from the war or are involved in the deportation,
forcible transfer and unjustifiable delay in the repatriation of
Ukrainian children, civilians and prisoners of war, to ensure they
cannot exploit economic or legal loopholes to circumvent the existing
sanction regime;
11.3.4 harmonise national legislations and strengthen co-ordination
efforts among the national authorities responsible for enforcing
the implementation of sanctions;
11.3.5 double efforts to reduce sanctions circumvention, including
through secondary sanctions against third countries and other economic
actors facilitating it;
11.4 in the context of accountability, establish without delay
a comprehensive compensation mechanism, including the already established
and fully functional Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression
of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, a future international
claims commission and an international compensation fund, to ensure
full reparation for victims and guarantee that those responsible
for these illegal actions bear the financial costs of their wrongdoing;
11.5 finalise negotiations with a view to establishing a special
tribunal to prosecute Russian and Belarusian leaders for the crime
of aggression against Ukraine;
11.6 ensure that all frozen Russian State assets are transferred
to the international compensation fund, once it is established,
in order to use them to compensate Ukraine and natural and legal
persons affected by the Russian aggression in Ukraine;
11.7 support the initiation of a comprehensive reconstruction
plan for Ukraine, to be undertaken with European and international
partners, encompassing, inter alia,
the rebuilding of infrastructures, including restoration of the
environment and removal of war debris, support for displaced persons
and the promotion of democratic institutions, human rights and the
rule of law;
11.8 increase humanitarian assistance to address the urgent
needs of civilians affected by the war of aggression and support
civil society in Ukraine;
11.9 continue international support for demining efforts in
Ukraine to address the serious threat posed by landmines and unexploded
ordnance to civilian safety, agricultural recovery and economic development
in the liberated areas;
11.10 strengthen measures to counter Russian disinformation
and promote accurate information about the war and its consequences.
12. Moreover, the Assembly commends Ukraine for its achievements
in implementing the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience,
Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026, and its progress in the European
Union accession process, despite an unprecedented wartime situation,
and stresses that adhering to European standards of human rights,
democracy and the rule of law will further strengthen Ukraine’s democratic
security and resilience and contribute to a peaceful future.
13. The Assembly further calls on Council of Europe member States
and international partners to seek the implementation of the Declaration
on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, adopted
by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December
1960, in the Russian Federation, starting from the condemnation
of massive violations of human rights and the rights of Indigenous peoples
of the Russian Federation.
14. Furthermore, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member
States in particular to step up their support for the Council of
Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction”
2023-2026 and further prioritise strengthening Ukraine’s capacity
to effectively uphold human rights, the rule of law and democracy,
which remains key to Ukraine’s resilience, recovery and reconstruction
and to its progress in the accession process to the European Union,
and to also enhance their assistance concerning the children of Ukraine.
15. The Assembly reaffirms its unwavering resolve to support peace,
justice and the rule of law in Ukraine and across the continent.
