In the document, the parliamentarians honoured the heroism of the Ukrainian people, who for the fourth consecutive year have been resisting russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified aggression, which began on 24th of February 2022 and is a continuation of the armed aggression against Ukraine since 2014.
The parties strongly condemned the criminal actions of the russian federation, emphasising that the aggressor state had grossly violated international law, in particular the UN Charter, the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and its obligations under the Budapest Memorandum. The statement highlights that russia continues to commit crimes of aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the killing of civilians, torture, sexual violence, unlawful detention, executions of prisoners of war, and the deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian citizens, including children.
The heads of parliaments confirmed their full support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, including territorial waters, and emphasised Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defence in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The statement pays particular attention to the need to ensure that those responsible for the crime of aggression and other international crimes are held accountable. The parties called for continued international efforts to document and preserve evidence of crimes committed during the war, as well as to bring all those responsible to justice.
Parliamentary leaders welcomed the comprehensive support for Ukraine from international partners, in particular the G7 countries, the European Union and other democratic states, stressing that consolidated international assistance is key to achieving comprehensive, just and long-lasting peace and ensuring stability in Europe.
The statement emphasises the importance of further strengthening sanctions pressure on russia, in particular with regard to its «shadow fleet» and other sources of war funding, as well as the need to continue providing military assistance to Ukraine as a contribution to strengthening the security of Europe as a whole.
A separate section highlights the strategic importance of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova joining the European Union for the stability and development of the region. The heads of parliaments called for the rapid removal of artificial barriers to European integration and the opening of negotiations on Cluster 1 «Fundamentals» for Ukraine and Moldova without further delay.
