What changed

B90156/2024

B90153/2024

European Parliament resolution on the need for unwavering support for Ukraine, after two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Ukraine,Ukraine and on Russia, in particular those adopted since the escalation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022,2022 and the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula on 19 February 2014,

– having regard to the lossAssociation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of humanthe lifeone part, and Ukraine, of the destructionother inpart, and to the accompanying Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the European Union and Ukraine, signed in 2014,

– having regard to the widespreadUN internationalCharter, condemnationthe ofHague Russia’sConventions, illegalthe warGeneva Conventions and the additional protocols thereto, and the Rome Statute of aggressionthe againstInternational Ukraine,Criminal Court,

– having regard to the unprecedented support and assistance provided by the EU and the Member States to Ukraine,

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 20 June 2023 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Ukraine Facility (COM(2023)0338),

– having regard to the joint statement of 16 January 2024 byEuropean theCouncil’s leadersdecision of five political groups in14 theDecember European2023 Parliamentto onopen militaryaccession supportnegotiations towith Ukraine, and to their statementfollowing ofthe 31Commission’s Januarypositive 2024recommendation callingof on8 EUCONovember to2023 deliverin onthis Ukraine,regard,

– having regard to the EU’sEuropean unityCouncil andconclusions policiesof in14 responseDecember to2023 theand war1 inFebruary Ukraine,2024,

– having regard to Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union, to its candidate status and to the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part, and the accompanying Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the European Union and Ukraine,

– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas two years haveRussia passedhas sincebeen Russiacarrying re-launchedout itsan unprovoked,illegal, unjustifiedunprovoked and illegalunjustified war of aggression against Ukraine onsince 24 February 2022,2022; fundamentallywhereas changingRussia’s thewar geopoliticalagainst situationUkraine andstarted threateningin 2014 with the securityillegal architectureannexation inof Europe,the withCrimean far-reachingpeninsula implicationsand forthe subsequent occupation of parts of the EuropeanDonetsk Unionand itself;Luhansk regions; whereas Ukrainethis haswar sufferedof fromaggression Russia’sconstitutes aggressiona forblatant 10and years,flagrant startingviolation withof the occupationUN Charter and of Crimeathe infundamental Februaryprinciples 2014of andinternational thelaw; subsequentwhereas occupationRussia’s ofactions partsin ofUkraine over the Donetskpast two years continue to threaten peace and Lugansksecurity regionsin laterEurope thatand year;worldwide;

B. whereas Ukraine and its citizens have shown unwavering determination in their resistance against Russia’s war of aggression, successfully defending their country, despite the high cost in civilian and military casualties, together with the destruction and weaponisation of civilian and public infrastructure, the natural environment and cultural heritage; whereas the brave people of Ukraine were awarded the 2022 Sakharov price as a tribute to their courage and their resilience;

B. whereas the Russian war of aggression is the largest military conflict on the European continent since the end of the Second World War and reflects the growing conflict between authoritarianism and democracy;

C. whereas Russia’s forces have been continuing to carry outconducted indiscriminate attacks onagainst residential areas and civilian infrastructure, resultingsuch inas theschools deathsand ofhospitals; whereas thousands of Ukrainian civilians, forcedincluding deportationschildren, have already been murdered and disappearances,many themore illegalhave imprisonmentbeen andtortured, tortureharassed, ofsexually Ukrainianassaulted, citizenskidnapped inor Russiaforcibly anddisplaced; thewhereas Russian-occupiedthis territoriesinhumane ofconduct Ukraine,by Russian forces and actstheir proxies is in total disregard of terrorinternational throughouthumanitarian thelaw; country,whereas includingRussia’s theattempt useto ethnically cleanse occupied parts of sexualUkraine violencehas andincluded mass rapeatrocities; aswhereas aRussia weaponaims ofto war;destroy Ukraine’s national identity and erase Ukrainian culture and statehood;

D. whereas the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has been alarmed by reports and testimonies pointing to inhumane detention conditions of the Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war held by Russia, including torture and the lack of medical care, resulting in permanent damage to their health; whereas there are known cases of the Russian military killing Ukrainian soldiers instead of taking them prisoner, including those most recently reported on 24 February 2024 in the Bakhmut area; whereas in 2022 more than 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war, mostly members of the Azov Battalion, were deliberately killed in a premeditated explosion at the prison in Olenivka;

D. whereas millions of Ukrainians have been displaced inside and outside Ukraine, having fled from Russia’s aggression; whereas Russia’s war crimes will leave a generation of Ukrainian civilians and military personnel requiring treatment for mental distress, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder;

E. whereas, according to the conservative estimates of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, almost two years into Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 10 000 civilians have been killed and nearly 20 000 injured, with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) believing that the actual figures are considerably higher;

E. whereas the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to withstand the Russian invasion, liberated more than 50 % of the territories temporarily occupied after 24 February 2022 and regained control of Ukraine’s western access to the Black Sea, effectively pushing out the Russian Black Sea Fleet;

F. whereas, according to the Kyiv School of Economics, as of January 2024, the direct documented damages inflicted upon Ukraine’s infrastructure by Russia stands at USD 155 billion; whereas according to the same estimate, at USD 58.9 billion, the housing stock remains in first place in terms of damage, with almost 250 000 buildings damaged or destroyed, while the damage to infrastructure has reached USD 36.8 billion and the direct damage to industry and businesses has reached USD 13.1 billion;

F. whereas the Western countries’ combined GDP is 25 times greater than that of Russia, yet in 2023 Western military assistance to Ukraine amounted to less than 0.1 % of this combined GDP; whereas in 2023, Russia spent approximately 6 % of its GDP on its war of aggression and Ukraine the equivalent of 25 % of its GDP on its defence;

G. whereas Russia has forcibly transferred thousands of Ukrainian children to areas under its control, assigned them Russian citizenship, forcibly had them adopted into Russian families and created obstacles to reuniting them with their parents and homeland; whereas on 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, alleging responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia;

G. whereas Russia’s war of aggression shows its post-colonial attitude towards its neighbours; whereas as long as Russia remains a state with an imperialistic mentality pursuing revisionist policies, it will continue its efforts to maintain the ever-looming threat of aggression on the European continent; whereas numerous international actors have recognised Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state that uses means of terrorism, and this should be followed by concrete measures;

H. whereas Russia is also waging its war on the information battlefield, seeking to justify it by rewriting history and spreading baseless lies to vilify Ukraine and question its right to exist outside Russia’s sphere of influence; whereas the Russian authorities have deployed unprecedented means to disseminate these false narratives, as well as deceitful accounts of military developments in Ukraine and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, in purposeful attempts to manipulate public opinion in Europe and in Russia;

H. whereas the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine following the positive recommendation of the Commission, and further invited the Council to adopt the negotiating framework once the relevant Commission recommendations are met;

I. whereas the European Union and many of its members have taken measures to rein in disinformation and hybrid threats, notably by adopting a ban on broadcasting in the EU by state-owned Russian outlets, some of which, however, still use European satellite service operators; whereas Russia has enforced a domestic crackdown to silence any discussion of its illegal war of aggression within its own population, so as to stifle internal opposition to it;

I. whereas the EU has provided Ukraine with unprecedented and multidimensional support since the start of the full-scale invasion, including military support on a scale never before seen; whereas the overall assistance pledged to Ukraine by the EU, its Member States and European financial institutions since February 2022 amounts to at least EUR 85 billion, including humanitarian and emergency assistance, budget support, macro-financial assistance and military aid; whereas EUR 17 billion was provided to Member States to host some four million Ukrainian refugees, who have been offered extended protection under the Temporary Protection Directive until March 2025;

J. whereas Ukraine, as an independent and sovereign state, enjoys the fundamental right to determine its own future, including the freedom to choose its alliances and policies, and to pursue its national interests in accordance with the will of the Ukrainian people;

J. whereas the EU and its Member States have so far provided Ukraine with EUR 28 billion in military aid; whereas the European Peace Facility was used to provide EUR 5.6 billion for the transfer of military equipment to Ukraine by Member States; whereas the ammunition initiative will provide Ukraine with approximately 524 000 155 mm shells manufactured by the European defence industry by March 2024, and another 500 000 by the end of the year; whereas the EU Military Mission in Support of Ukraine has trained 40 000 Ukrainian soldiers in Germany and Poland so far, and the number is only increasing;

K. whereas a strong, democratic, stable and independent Ukraine is vital for the stability of the Euro-Atlantic area and crucial for fostering global peace and stability, and upholding the principles of democracy and international legality;

K. whereas the EU institutions recently reached an agreement in principle to establish a Ukraine Facility that will offer EUR 50 billion in predictable medium-term support, in the form of grants and loans, for the repair, recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine from 2024 to 2027;

L. whereas Russia’s war of aggression has only brought Ukraine closer to the European Union, with Ukraine now a candidate country for membership in the EU and having received massive support across various sectors from the EU, including unprecedented military assistance;

L whereas Ukrainian children are paying the ultimate price in the war, as 528 Ukrainian children have been killed and 1 226 wounded, 1.8 million have had to cross into neighbouring countries as refugees and another 2.5 million are internally displaced within Ukraine;

M. whereas the EU has adopted 13 packages of sanctions since the onset of the war and has created a new role of International Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions, specifically tasked with tackling the evasion and circumvention of sanctions targeting Russia and Belarus as its proxy;

M. whereas since the beginning of the full-scale war of aggression, approximately 20 000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia and Belarus or detained in the occupied territories; whereas the International Criminal Court has issued international arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova in view of their responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation and for the unlawful transfer of children from occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia; whereas fewer than 400 deported children have been returned to Ukraine and reunited with their families;

N. whereas the EU institutions have recently reached an agreement to establish an EUR 50 billion Ukraine Facility, which will provide stable and sustainable financing for the period 2024-2027 to support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and modernisation, including key reforms necessary on its path towards EU accession;

N. whereas Ukraine has signed security agreements with the UK, Denmark, Italy, Germany and France in line with the G7 joint declaration of support for Ukraine, which was agreed on 12 July 2023 on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius; whereas the G7’s commitment opened the door to negotiations to formalise long-term bilateral security commitments and arrangements in support of Ukraine;

O. whereas Ukraine has demonstrated significant progress in advancing crucial reforms and exhibits a clear commitment to EU and NATO integration and to fundamental European values;

1. Reiterates its unwavering solidarity with the people and leadership of Ukraine and its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders;

P. whereas the commitment made in Versailles by the Heads of State or Government on 11 March 2022 to strengthen European defence capabilities in the light of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, following a strategic course of action aimed at enhancing the Union’s ability to act autonomously in the field of defence in complementarity to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the recent declarations by the members of the European Council and the Commission, notably in the context of the recent Munich Conference on Security, on the imperative for a European leap in the light of the Kremlin regime, the need to strengthen the European pillar of NATO and to jointly develop our defence industries over the long term call for a broad mobilisation of European will and resources;

2. Reiterates its condemnation, in the strongest possible terms, of Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as of the involvement of the regime in Belarus; demands that Russia and its proxy forces cease all military actions and that Russia withdraw all military forces, proxies and military equipment from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine, end its forced deportations of Ukrainian civilians and release all detained Ukrainians; demands that the settlement of Russian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine cease and be reversed;

Q. whereas on 13 February 2024 Maksim Kuzminov, a former Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine in 2023, was found dead in Spain, murdered by gunmen reportedly sent by the Russian Government; whereas over the last few decades, the Russian intelligence services have carried out a number of brazen covert operations, including assassinations, on EU territory;

3. Recalls that the Russian war of aggression started with the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula in February 2014; recalls that the peninsula was turned into a military base and served as a springboard for the full-scale invasion in 2022;

1. Reiterates its solidarity with and4. paysPays tribute to the brave people of Ukraine, whorightful arelaureates courageouslyof continuingthe 2023 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, who continue to courageously defend their country’scountry, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity; acknowledges andintegrity, commendswhile Ukraine’salso significantdefending contributionfreedom, todemocracy, the securityrule of thelaw Euro-Atlanticand areaEuropean andvalues theagainst defencea ofbrutal itsregime valuesthat byseeks resistingto Russia’sundermine warour ofdemocracy aggression;and weaken and divide our Union;

2. Reiterates its condemnation in the strongest terms of Russia’s unprovoked, illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and calls on Russia to immediately terminate all military activities in Ukraine and unconditionally withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine;

5. Expresses its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the courageous defenders who have sacrificed their lives in defence of Ukraine, its people, freedom and democracy; calls for continuous and increased support from the EU and its Member States for the treatment and rehabilitation of injured defenders of Ukraine;

3. Reaffirms its determination to continue supporting Ukraine until the full restoration and control of its internationally recognised borders and throughout the process of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction;

6. States its resolve to contribute to maintaining the Ukrainian people’s spirit of resilience and faith in a better future in which peace will reign in Ukraine and Europe, no part of Ukrainian territory will be under Russian occupation and no Ukrainian or other citizen will feel threatened or under attack for their wish to live in peace, safety and prosperity and with respect for European values and principles; reiterates that Ukraine, as an independent and sovereign state, has the fundamental right to determine its own future, including the freedom to choose its alliances and policies and to pursue its national interests;

4. Acknowledges the resilience and determination demonstrated by the Ukrainian people in their pursuit of democratic values, reform efforts and aspirations for integration into the Euro-Atlantic community of nations;

7. Praises the solidarity shown by EU citizens, civil society, Member States and the EU itself towards Ukraine and its people; supports the continuous extension of the Temporary Protection Directive for persons fleeing Ukraine as a consequence of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;

5. Encourages the EU and the Member States to provide increased support and assistance to Ukraine on its path to accession, including technical expertise, capacity-building and institutional reforms necessary to meet the membership criteria;

8. Believes that the outcome of the war and the stance taken by the international community will play a crucial role in influencing future action by other authoritarian regimes, which are closely observing the course of the war and assessing how much space there is for them to exert aggressive foreign policies, including by military means;

6. Reiterates its call on the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Member States to support all measures, including the establishment of a special tribunal, to secure full accountability for the crimes committed during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, especially the crime of aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity; welcomes the establishment of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine (ICPA) in The Hague; welcomes the cooperation between Eurojust, Europol, Member States and the Ukrainian authorities to assist the efforts in evidence-gathering and the investigation of war crimes committed by Russian forces on Ukrainian territory;

9. Underlines that the main objective for Ukraine is to win the war against Russia, which entails driving all the forces of Russia and its proxies and allies out of the internationally recognised territory of Ukraine; considers that this objective can be met only through the continued, sustained and steadily increasing supply of all types of conventional weapons to Ukraine, without exception;

7. Reiterates its condemnation of the forcible deportation of Ukrainian civilians to Russia, territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia, and Belarus; calls on all states and international organisations to press Russia to return all forcibly deported and illegally imprisoned Ukrainian civilians, especially children, including the remains of all those who died in captivity; urges the EU and its Member States to intensify the search for mechanisms to facilitate the release of Ukrainian civilians illegally detained by Russia, including through UN mechanisms;

10. Recalls the importance of liberating and de-occupying the Crimean peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia for a decade now; recalls that citizens of the peninsula who are loyal to Ukraine, in particular the indigenous Tatars, face repression, arrest and torture; recalls that the Russian occupying forces have made every effort to erase Tatar heritage and the memory of Ukrainian presence from the peninsula; supports Ukraine’s efforts to reintegrate Crimea, in particular the Crimea Platform;

8. Reiterates its condemnation of the forced abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia, territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia, and Belarus; strongly condemns the illegal assignment of Russian citizenship to those children and their illegal adoption; urges the EU and its Member States to intensify their efforts to facilitate the return of those children; calls for the EU and the Member States to support efforts to hold all those responsible for organising the illegal deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children accountable in accordance with international law; calls on the Council and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to impose targeted sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against the individuals responsible for the forcible transfer and illegal adoption of Ukrainian children;

11. Reaffirms its support for consistently providing military aid to Ukraine for as long as necessary and in whatever form necessary for Ukraine to win; recognises the efforts made by the Member States in providing and by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) in coordinating military support to Ukraine to date; reiterates its call on the Member States to substantially increase and accelerate their military support with a view to not only allowing Ukraine to defend itself against Russian attacks, but also to enabling it to regain full control over its entire internationally recognised territory;

9. Condemns the deliberate torture and killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian side; calls for an independent investigation into and the prosecution of such crimes, and calls for increased efforts to exchange prisoners between Ukraine and Russia;

12. Believes that there should be no self-imposed restriction on military assistance to Ukraine; points to the huge divergence in the amounts of support provided by EU Member States as a percentage of their GDP; calls for the necessary investment in the European defence industrial base so as to substantially increase output in order to meet Ukrainian needs and replenish EU Member States’ depleted stocks; underlines that Ukraine is in particular need of sophisticated air-defence systems, long-range missiles, such as TAURUS missiles, modern combat aircraft, various types of artillery and ammunition (155 mm shells in particular), drones and weapons to counter them; supports the proposal that all EU Member States and NATO allies should support Ukraine militarily with no less than 0.25 % of their GDP annually; calls for an overall increase in the financial ceiling of the European Peace Facility and insists that this should be used, among other things, for the single source procurement of available ammunition on the world market to meet Ukraine’s needs; considers that current EU ammunition production that is committed to third countries should be redirected and that Ukraine should be given priority access to it; calls on the governments of the EU Member States and the defence industry to address the late deliveries and the reasons for these with the recipient countries; calls on the US House of Representatives to adopt the military assistance package for Ukraine without further delay;

10. Reiterates its continued concern about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP), which is illegally occupied and controlled by the Russian Federation, and serves as a site for Russia’s military deployment; supports efforts to maintain a continued International Atomic Energy Agency presence at the Zaporizhzhia NPP; underlines the importance of reinforcing the international framework for the protection of nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes, including in armed conflicts; recalls and condemns Russia’s actions which have inflicted severe harm on the environment in Ukraine, including the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the logging of Ukrainian forests, extensive mining and the contamination of air and water resources; reiterates its deep concern about the broader long-term environmental impact of the war;

13. Welcomes the signing of security agreements between Ukraine and the UK, Denmark, Italy, Germany and France in line with the G7 joint declaration of support for Ukraine, and calls on other like-minded partners to follow suit; underlines that these security agreements cannot be considered a substitute for future NATO membership; welcomes the progress made on the practical details and financial ceiling for a new Ukraine Assistance Fund, under the European Peace Facility, which would support the provision of military equipment to Ukraine through joint European procurement initiatives;

11. Condemns Russia’s intention to conduct presidential elections on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on 15-17 March 2024 and underlines that it will not recognise the results of these illegal elections;

14. Reiterates its support for the peace formula presented by Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy; believes that it is a comprehensive plan to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity; recalls that the plan’s 10 points were reflected in UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/6 of 23 February 2023 on principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine;

12. Reiterates its call on the Member States to adopt further substantial sanction packages against Russia and its allies, particularly Belarus, in order to strategically weaken Russia’s war capacity; calls for prompt and comprehensive restrictions on the import of Russian oil, nuclear fuel and gas, including liquefied natural gas; condemns the behaviour of the states, entities and individuals that help Russia to circumvent EU sanctions; reiterates its call on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to develop a sanction circumvention prevention mechanism; reiterates its call for European companies to withdraw their operations from Russia; calls on the Member States to take particular measures to prevent advanced technology products that are being exported to non-EU countries from ending up in Russia; calls on the Member States to very strictly prosecute individuals or entities participating in the circumvention of EU sanctions;

15. Reiterates its call on the Commission, the VP/HR and the Member States to work together with Ukraine and the international community on setting up a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine by Russia’s leaders and their allies, such as the regime in Belarus; welcomes the establishment of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine in The Hague;

13. Welcomes the recent Council decision clarifying the obligations of Central Securities Depositories holding assets and reserves of the Central Bank of Russia, which are immobilised as a consequence of the EU’s restrictive measures; reiterates, however, its call for the EU and its Member States to find legal avenues allowing for the confiscation of frozen Russian assets and for their use for the reconstruction of Ukraine and compensation for the victims of Russia’s aggression;

16. Expresses horror at the fact that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in one of the fastest growing large-scale displacements of children since the Second World War; recalls that the massive targeting of civilian infrastructure has caused Ukrainian children to be severely deprived of access to basic services, such as education and healthcare, in particular mental health support;

14. Reaffirms its commitment to Ukraine’s membership of the European Union, which represents a geostrategic investment in a united and strong Europe; repeats its call for Ukraine’s gradual integration into the EU single market and sectoral programmes, including access to EU funds in the respective areas; supports the Commission proposal to renew the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU; urges the Commission to address any reports of market disruption caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the trade benefits conceded to Ukraine; calls on the Commission and the Member States to prevent any unilateral actions, such as border blockades, which would limit Ukraine’s access to the EU single market;

17. Reiterates that the continued forced relocation and deportation of Ukrainian children, including those from institutions, to Russia and Belarus and their forced adoption by Russian families is in breach of Ukrainian and international law; underlines that forcibly transferring children of a group to another group constitutes the crime of genocide, according to the Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; demands that the Russian and Belarusian authorities ensure the immediate return of all Ukrainian children; praises the efforts of local Ukrainian organisations that, on a case-by-case basis, support parents and families in searching for their children and fighting for their safe return;

15. Underlines that the accession process will be merit-based, and that the renewed enlargement methodology puts an emphasis on the crucial areas of respect for the rule of law, fundamental values, human rights, democracy and the fight against corruption from the very start; strongly believes that a firm, merit-based prospect of EU membership for Ukraine is in the Union’s own political, economic and security interests;

18. Condemns Russia’s intention to conduct presidential elections on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on 15-17 March 2024 and underlines that it will not recognise the results of these illegal elections;

16. Calls on the Council and the Commission to set out a clear pathway for the accession negotiations, focusing on providing tangible benefits for Ukrainian society and citizens from the start of the process; invites the Council to task the Commission with immediately submitting proposals for the relevant negotiating framework and to adopt it once the relevant steps set out in the respective Commission recommendations of 8 November 2023 have been taken;

19. Reiterates its call for innovative, complementary and flexible interaction between the ongoing work on the implementation of the Association Agreement currently in force and the accession negotiation process, thus allowing for Ukraine’s gradual integration into the EU single market and sectoral programmes, including access to EU funds in the respective areas, so that Ukrainians can reap the benefits of accession throughout the process and not only upon its completion;

17. Underlines that the EU must continue and strengthen its financial, technical and political support to Ukraine in order to assist with its EU integration and that the Union itself must undertake the necessary reforms in view of future enlargements;

20. Underlines that the Russian war of aggression has fundamentally changed the geopolitical situation in Europe and threatens its security architecture, and that the response to this necessitates bold, brave and comprehensive political, security and financial decisions by the EU;

18. Welcomes the agreement on the establishment of the Ukraine Facility and calls for its rapid deployment; highlights the need for the EU and the Member States to continue to explore additional avenues of support for Ukraine; regrets the unnecessary delay by the United States in approving the next tranche of urgently needed assistance to Ukraine;

21. Welcomes the European Council’s decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine once the Commission’s recommendations are met; believes that Ukraine’s membership of the EU represents a geostrategic investment in a united and strong Europe and that it equates to showing leadership, resolve and vision; calls for the swift submission of the relevant negotiating framework, and for its adoption once the relevant steps from the Commission recommendation of 8 November 2023 are taken;

19. Calls for the EU, the Member States and like-minded partners to provide comprehensive and coordinated political, economic, technical and humanitarian assistance to support the sustainable and inclusive post-war reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine, with a particular emphasis on the restoration of essential infrastructure, healthcare, education and social services; calls for the EU and the Member States to continue to provide medical treatment and rehabilitation, including psychological support, to injured and bereaved Ukrainian soldiers and civilians; calls for continuous attention and increased support for demining activities in Ukraine and for a long-term demining programme;

22. Recalls that the EU accession process will be merit-based and that the enlargement methodology puts an emphasis on the crucial areas of respect for the rule of law, fundamental values, human rights, democracy and the fight against corruption; believes that a firmly merit-based accession process is in the best interest of both Ukraine and the EU; encourages the EU and its Member States to provide increased support and assistance to Ukraine on its path to EU accession, including technical expertise, capacity building and the institutional reforms necessary to meet the membership criteria;

20. Considers that the military support to Ukraine from the EU and the Member States, although it amounts to around EUR 28 billion, has not been sufficient in quality and volume to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia; urges the EU and the Member States, therefore, along with its like-minded partners, to increase the production, joint procurement and delivery of the weapons and ammunition necessary for Ukraine, including air defence equipment, and to enhance military cooperation with Ukraine, including through the provision of increased capabilities, tailor-made training, joint production and capacity-building; reiterates its support for the substantial expansion of these measures and for the need to make full use of the European Peace Facility (EPF) which needs long-term funding; denounces the fact that since August 2023, one Member State has been blocking since the eighth tranche of military aid to Ukraine, via the EPF; urges the EU and the Member States to explore additional ways to mobilise EU financial resources for defence; calls for the EU and the Member States to significantly increase their efforts to develop the EU’s strategic autonomy, particularly in strengthening EU defence capabilities in cooperation with NATO and developing a more coherent and impactful EU foreign policy; calls for the EU and the Member States to sanction circumventions of military and dual-use goods export controls more effectively;

23. Calls on the Ukrainian Government to continue to strengthen local self-government, a reform that has received significant national and international acclaim, and to embed the success of the decentralisation reform in the overall architecture of Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction processes;

21. Reiterates its position that representatives of local self-government and civil society in Ukraine must be actively involved in the recovery and reconstruction process and that this process must meet the highest standards of transparency and accountability;

24. Welcomes the EU institutions’ agreement in principle on the establishment of the Ukraine Facility that will provide predictable financial assistance to Ukraine, and calls for its rapid deployment; underlines the strengthened role of the Verkhovna Rada, the sub-national entities and civil society as relevant partners for the executive authority in identifying the priorities that will be financed via the Ukraine Plan, stressing that this also increases the oversight and monitoring of the Facility;

22. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to strengthen strategic communication and provide relevant information on the mutual benefits and opportunities of enlargement both in Ukraine and in the Member States in order to further increase support and improve understanding of the accession process; calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to improve the visibility of EU funding and its tangible results in Ukraine; insists that the EU and Ukrainian civil society play an active role in the implementation of these objectives;

25. Calls on the Council to maintain its sanctions policy against Russia and Belarus, while monitoring, reviewing and enhancing its effectiveness and impact; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the swift implementation and strict enforcement of all 13 packages of sanctions; asks the Commission for an impact assessment on the sanctions’ effectiveness in hindering the Russian war effort and on the circumvention of sanctions; recalls that the EU is working on legislation to designate the violation of restrictive measures a criminal offence; calls on the Member States to adopt further sanctions packages aimed at weakening the Russian war machine and targeting further sectors of Russia’s economy, such as the nuclear sector, in particular Rosatom, metallurgy and agriculture;

23. Calls for the EU and the Member States to work strategically and proactively to counter hybrid threats and to prevent interference by Russia and its agents in the West in political, electoral and other democratic processes in Ukraine and in the EU, in particular malicious acts aimed at manipulating public opinion and undermining European integration;

26. Condemns all those countries that are supplying military equipment to Russia and assisting it in circumventing and avoiding the effects of the sanctions imposed on it, and calls for the EU to rigorously prosecute companies, associations and individuals that participate in the circumvention of sanctions; calls for the EU, the Member States and their allies to strengthen the effectiveness of the sanctions already imposed, to take urgent steps to block any attempt to circumvent these sanctions and to work on a secondary sanctions mechanism that would close any loopholes;

24. Condemns the assassination of Maksim Kuzminov in Spain; calls on the Member States to respond promptly and with resolve against disruptive actions by the Russian intelligence services within the EU’s territory; recommends that the Member States enhance counterintelligence cooperation and information-sharing;

27. Calls for the EU and its Member States to take further action to continue Russia’s international isolation, including with regard to Russia’s membership of international organisations and bodies, such as the UN Security Council;

25. Notes that, notwithstanding the Russian leadership’s assertion of openness to negotiations, Russia’s blatant disregard for and violation of established norms and agreements to which it had committed has significantly undermined the trustworthiness of the current regime in Moscow and, as a result, the feasibility of engaging in meaningful negotiations with it;

28. Underlines the urgent need to establish a sound legal regime allowing for the confiscation of Russian assets frozen by the EU and for their use to address the various consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, including the reconstruction of the country, compensation for the victims of Russia’s aggression, and the purchase of military equipment for Ukraine; underlines its conviction that once the war ends, Russia must be obliged to pay the reparations imposed on it to ensure that it makes a substantial contribution to the reconstruction of Ukraine; welcomes the recent Council decision clarifying the obligations of Central Securities Depositories holding assets and reserves of the Central Bank of Russia, which are immobilised as a result of the EU’s restrictive measures; welcomes the creation of the Register of Damage caused by the Russian aggression, which is the first step in the establishment of an international compensation mechanism;

26. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the President, Government and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

29. Reiterates its concern about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is illegally controlled by Russia; supports efforts to maintain a continued International Atomic Energy Agency presence at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant; recalls and condemns Russia’s actions that have inflicted severe damage on the environment in Ukraine, including the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the logging of Ukrainian forests, extensive mining and the contamination of air and water resources; reiterates its deep concern about the broader long-term environmental impact of the war; underlines the need to create a system for recording and assessing the environmental damage caused by Russia and to prepare legal grounds for Russia’s accountability for those crimes;

30. Calls for the EU and its Member States to work strategically and proactively to counter hybrid threats and to prevent Russia’s interference in political, electoral and other democratic processes in Ukraine and in the EU, in particular malicious acts aimed at manipulating public opinion and undermining European integration, particularly in the light of the upcoming European elections;

31. Expresses concern about the restriction of foreign travel of members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; believes that this could be considered indiscriminate restriction of the political activity of elected members of parliament, in particular of those representing the opposition; strongly believes that in times of war, any political resource that can represent Ukraine’s cause in any international forum should not be disregarded;

32. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the President, Government and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the United Nations and the Russian and Belarusian authorities.