European Speakers: A just and lasting peace requires Russia to be held fully accountable
At the summit held in Ukraine to mark the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Lauri Hussar and other Speakers of European parliaments issued a Joint Statement in which they reaffirmed continued support for Ukraine until justice is delivered, accountability is ensured, and a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace is restored.
The Speakers condemn the Russian Federation’ war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirm their full respect for the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. “In paying tribute to the courage of Ukraine’s defenders, we recognize that their sacrifice safeguards not only their nation but also the core of European security and the international rules-based order,” they say in the Joint Statement.
The Speakers condemn the atrocities committed by Russian Forces, which amount to the gross and systematic violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law, and may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. “These atrocities – including indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure, extrajudicial killings of civilians and prisoners of war, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence, inhuman and degrading treatment, and the unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of civilians, including children – demonstrate a deliberate pattern of state-sanctioned terror entirely unjustified under any military pretext,” the Joint Statement says.
The Speakers point out that the Bucha massacre tragically reflects the scale and brutality of these crimes and underscores that a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine is impossible without full accountability.
According to the Speakers, the crime of aggression is the “supreme international crime” and impunity for such a crime enables other grave violations and threatens the international rule of law and global security. Therefore, they reaffirm their strong support for the urgent establishment and expeditious launch of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and call for broad accession of states to the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal.
They also reaffirm their support for the establishment of a comprehensive international compensation mechanism aimed at delivering tangible justice to victims and call for the expeditious ratification of the Convention on the International Claims Commission. “Justice for Ukraine remains incomplete without full and comprehensive compensation for the immense damage, loss, and injury caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation,” the Speakers say, adding that Russia’s assets should remain immobilized until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused by its war.
The Speakers call on strengthening and accelerating military, financial, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, noting that equipping Ukraine to achieve a decisive victory is the most effective way to protect civilians, prevent further escalation, and uphold international law. They also reiterate their support for Ukraine’s irreversible path toward European integration, including its future membership in the European Union. “Standing united in the shadow of the Bucha tragedy, we reaffirm our commitment to support Ukraine until justice is delivered, accountability is ensured, and a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace is restored,” the Speakers say in the Joint Statement.
The Joint Statement is signed by the Speakers and Heads of Delegations of the Parliaments of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The Speakers participated in the commemoration ceremony held today to mark the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre and the summit that followed it, at the invitation of Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Joint Statement in Estonian and in English
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
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