The unprovoked Russian aggression against Ukraine is having devastating consequences for the Ukrainian people and disproportionately negative impact on persons belonging to vulnerable groups, including women and children, the elderly or persons with disabilities.
The world is shocked and appalled by the reported massive atrocities, humanitarian and human rights law violations committed by the Russian Armed Forces in Bucha, Borodianka, Irpen, Hostomel, Ivankiv and other places that have now been liberated. We strongly condemn the ongoing ghastly siege of Mariupol and the constant shelling of other places in Ukraine.
We are gravely concerned about targeted killings, enforced disappearances, abductions of civilians, including journalists and local officials, the sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking, torture, sexual exploitation, rape and other abuse that Ukrainian civilians, particularly women and children, are facing in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The war in Ukraine has led to the displacement of more than four million children. Many of them have lost their parents or close relatives.
The Russian Federation shall immediately and unconditionally cease its military actions and withdraw all its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders and territorial waters. The international community shall provide full support to Ukraine and its people. In this regard, it shall ensure that necessary follow-up actions to the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report are undertaken.
The Parliamentary Assembly has to support all measures to ensure accountability for human rights and international humanitarian law violations in Ukraine by the Russian Armed Forces and its accomplice Belarus, taking into account that Russia is waging a shameful disinformation campaign in order to hide these facts. The Assembly shall assure international appropriate accountability mechanisms to bring all perpetrators to account.