On the 2025 Commission report on Ukraine

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the 2025 Commission report on Ukraine

(2025/2259(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Ukraine,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 24 June 2022 granting Ukraine candidate status, of 15 December 2023 endorsing the opening of accession negotiations, and of 20 March 2025,

– having regard to its resolution of 11 March 2026 on the EU enlargement strategy,

– having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2026 on the implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2025 and to its resolution of 11 March 2026 on the EU enlargement strategy,

– having regard to the Ukraine Facility and the Ukraine Plan,

– having regard to the Joint Statement between Commissioner Marta Kos and Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Taras Kachka of 11 December 2025,

– having regard to Ukraine’s roadmaps on the rule of law, public administration reform, and the functioning of democratic institutions, as well as the action plan on the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities (communities) of Ukraine, approved in May 2025,

– having regard to the National Programme for Approximation of the Acquis, adopted by the Government of Ukraine on 1 April 2026,

– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘Ukraine 2025 Report’ (SWD(2025)0759), and to the accompanying Commission communication entitled ‘2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2025)0690),

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0172/2026),

A. whereas Parliament condemns, in the strongest possible terms, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and of the fundamental principles of international law and international humanitarian law, demonstrated by widespread and systematic war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainians to Russian territory, particularly of children, which are acts that demand full accountability and justice; whereas Parliament supports Ukraine’s right to sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders; whereas Russia invaded Ukraine and could stop the brutal war it is waging against its neighbour at any moment;

B. whereas Russia, with the political, material and military support provided by its allies – in particular Belarus, Iran and North Korea as well as support from China – has been waging an illegal, unprovoked and unjustified full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine since 24 February 2022; whereas Russia’s war against Ukraine began in 2014 with the illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea and the subsequent occupation of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;

C. whereas Russia’s recent and ongoing violations of the sovereignty of European states confirm that its objectives extend far beyond Ukraine and pose an existential threat to Europe’s freedom and democracy;

D. whereas, despite broad international condemnation and unprecedented sanctions, Russia is escalating its war efforts through targeted attacks on critical energy infrastructure, residential buildings and civilian infrastructure; whereas millions of people in Ukraine survived the recent freezing winter temperatures with limited electricity, heating and running water; whereas the environmental damage caused by Russia over the past four years has also had devastating consequences for Ukraine’s natural resources and critical ecosystems and for its people’s health, livelihoods and security;

E. whereas, as a result of the Russian invasion, over 4 million Ukrainians are currently living in EU Member States under the temporary protection mechanism and benefit from rights to residence, access to the labour market, housing, medical care, social welfare assistance and education for their children;

F. whereas Ukraine, by defending itself against Russia, is significantly contributing to the security of the European Union; whereas the EU and its Member States have been Ukraine’s biggest provider of financial, economic, military and humanitarian assistance since the start of the full-scale invasion; whereas since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU and its Member States have so far provided around EUR 75 billion in military assistance to Ukraine; whereas support for Ukraine should also help to reinforce the EU’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and the Union’s strategic autonomy, and should not lead to any greater dependence on external actors;

G. whereas, since the beginning of the illegal and ongoing occupation of parts of Ukraine’s territory in February 2014, the Russian Federation has been committing persistent and widespread violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the temporarily occupied territories;

H. whereas Ukraine and international bodies have documented hundreds of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces; whereas such executions constitute serious violations of international law and human rights and are explicitly recognised as war crimes under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;

I. whereas at least 20 000, and possibly up to 35 000, Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia and Belarus, or detained in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories;

J. whereas, in response to Russia’s war of aggression, the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the Damage Register for Ukraine were set up in The Hague, and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is in the process of being established; whereas the Commission has adopted a proposal initiating the process for the European Union to become a founding member of the Special Tribunal; whereas the International Criminal Court has indicted Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova for war crimes; whereas an International Claims Commission for Ukraine was inaugurated on the margins of the 135th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Chisinau, Moldova on 14 May 2026; whereas the International Claims Commission will strengthen the capacity to ensure accountability for international crimes committed in and against Ukraine and to uphold Ukraine’s right for full reparation of damages following from Russia’s illegal actions;

K. whereas Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination in its path towards EU membership – a choice that reflects the enduring will of the Ukrainian people, despite the ongoing Russian war of aggression, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands, inflicted deep trauma on survivors, families of victims, veterans and their families, and civil society, left many cities and vital civil infrastructure in ruins, and led to the continued occupation of parts of its territory by Russian forces;

L. whereas Ukraine’s struggle is not only for the right to live free and to choose its alliances freely, and not only for its sovereignty, peace, stability and security, but also for the preservation of the substance of democracy under existential pressure; whereas the resilience of Ukrainian democracy will ultimately be judged not only by its ability to resist external aggression, but by its willingness to protect pluralism, inclusiveness, openness and political diversity within the country;

M. whereas Ukraine’s European integration is a strategic investment in peace, security, democracy and prosperity for the entire continent; whereas the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence is not dependent on the speed of the country’s European integration;

N. whereas the current Copenhagen criteria require not only formal alignment with EU law but also effective implementation and guarantees of fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law; whereas each country’s path towards EU integration must be assessed on its own merits and no country should be coupled with another or treated as part of a package;

O. whereas Ukraine remains committed to aligning its legislation with the EU acquis and has continued to take steps to implement reforms despite Russia’s war of aggression; whereas in 2025 Ukraine reached 84 % implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement;

P. whereas the Commission has confirmed that Ukraine has completed the bilateral screening process for all negotiation chapters and is ready to open all negotiation clusters, beginning with the fundamentals cluster;

Q. whereas progress has been made, yet more efforts are needed to strengthen, inter alia, the rule of law in Ukraine and to combat corruption;

R. whereas ensuring the transparent and accountable use of international and EU financial support and future reconstruction funds requires robust, independent and well-functioning anti-corruption institutions, as well as effective democratic oversight involving civil society and social partners;

S. whereas international experts working in judicial selection commissions have helped to build public trust in the judicial system by strengthening the independence of the judiciary; whereas international experts’ involvement in the selection of the High Qualification Commission of Judges ended on 1 June 2025;

T. whereas Ukraine’s democratic institutions have demonstrated adaptability by showcasing that, even amid Russia’s ongoing war of aggression and under martial law, they continue to serve the interests of the citizens and implement EU accession-related reforms; whereas Parliament welcomes indications that preparations for elections may begin once martial law has ended and the security situation allows elections to be held in line with international standards; whereas Ukraine should continue working to protect its democracy and ensure transparency and the balance of power;

U. whereas civil society remains a pillar of resilience and democracy in Ukraine, though instances of pressure against activists and trade unions raise concerns and require government action;

V. whereas EU integration is widely supported across Ukrainian society and institutions, and remains a fundamental driving force for Ukraine’s democratic development; whereas Ukraine’s EU membership will also strengthen the Union itself by contributing to its geopolitical resilience, enhancing its economic potential, and reinforcing its commitment to shared values of democracy, rule of law, and freedom;

W. whereas the latest Eurobarometer report on enlargement indicates that 56 % of EU citizens support further enlargement of the European Union, with Ukraine being the most favoured candidate for accession once all EU membership criteria have been met;

X. whereas Russia continues to pursue and intensify efforts aimed at justifying its aggression against Ukraine through the deliberate falsification of history, the manipulation of historical narratives, and the strategic use of religious, cultural and value-based narratives aimed at distorting public discourse, denying and delegitimising Ukraine’s national identity, statehood and sovereignty and preventing Ukraine’s accession to the European Union; whereas such activities are consistent with the Russian Military Doctrine approved on 25 December 2014 and subsequent strategic documents, including the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation approved by President Vladimir Putin on 31 December 2015, which emphasise the protection of ‘traditional Russian spiritual and moral values’ against perceived Western influence; whereas this approach was further reinforced in the 2021 National Security Strategy, which elevated the safeguarding of ‘traditional values’, the promotion of the concept of the ‘Russian World’ (Russkiy Mir), and the protection of ‘compatriots abroad’ to core national security priorities, thereby demonstrating the sustained and systematic use of cultural, religious and civilisational narratives as tools of geopolitical influence and justification for aggression against Ukraine;

Y. whereas according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy, over 3 million Ukrainians are recognised as having one or more disabilities, and this number is expected to increase by 17 000 each month, largely due to the ongoing war;

Z. whereas the environmental damage caused by Russia has caused devastating consequences for Ukraine’s natural resources and critical ecosystems and for the health, livelihoods and security of its people; whereas green recovery is about remedying that damage and setting Ukraine on a new path of environmental and social sustainability aligned with the environmental laws in the EU acquis;

AA. whereas a 2024 survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology confirmed that Ukrainian society’s attitude towards LGBTIQ+ people remained predominantly neutral or positive, with over 70 % of Ukrainians surveyed supporting equal rights for LGBTIQ+ people;

AB. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has caused immense human suffering and destruction and the scale of the human devastation makes it imperative to seek a just, sustainable and lasting peace;

I. State of play of the Russian war of aggression and EU sanctions

1. Condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s ongoing illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, and reiterates its unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine and its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, within its internationally recognised borders; reaffirms its policy of non-recognition of all the illegally and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine by Russia, including Crimea;

2. Demands that the Russian Federation immediately and unconditionally cease all military activities in and against Ukraine and withdraw all its forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, including its territorial sea; underlines that the brave people of Ukraine have paid the highest price to protect Ukraine and, by extension, Europe's security;

3. Expresses its deepest sympathy and full solidarity with all those affected by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including members of the armed forces, veterans, the families of those killed or injured, internally displaced persons, refugees, and all civilians enduring the severe humanitarian, health, psychological, social and economic consequences of the war;

4. Condemns the widespread and systematic attacks perpetrated by the Russian Federation against the Ukrainian civilian population, particularly through attacks to critical energy and water infrastructure, which constitute blatant violations of international humanitarian law;

5. Strongly deplores the grave violations against Ukrainian children, including murder, mistreatment, forced transfer and deportation, as well as illegal adoption, the alteration of their personal data and the restriction of contact with their families; further condemns their forced Russification and exposure to military-patriotic training, war propaganda and militarisation; calls for the immediate, safe and unconditional return of kidnapped children and calls for the EU to prioritise child mental health as a dedicated component of its recovery support; calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen support for Ukrainian authorities, as well as international and non-governmental organisations, in documenting these crimes and identifying, repatriating, reintegrating, rehabilitating and supporting the affected children; welcomes the growing engagement in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, as a key platform for coordinated international action aimed at the return of unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children;

6. Deplores the drastic deterioration of the human rights situation in areas under Russian occupation, such as arbitrary detentions and disappearances, torture, forced passportisation and mobilisation of Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories, executions of prisoners of war and illegal deportations; firmly reaffirms the inalienable right of all Ukrainians forcibly displaced as a result of Russia's aggression to return safely, voluntarily and without preconditions to their homes following the full de-occupation and restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity;

7. Strongly condemns the Russian Federation’s illegal imposition of its occupying administration on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as its systematic, unlawful appropriation of public and private property, the looting and illegal removal of Ukraine’s cultural property and heritage, the destruction of economic activities and exploitation of these territories for its own political and economic interests;

8. Strongly condemns the recruitment by the Russian Federation of foreign nationals, including from third countries, to participate in its war of aggression against Ukraine, often through deceptive practices and the exploitation of vulnerable socio-economic conditions; underlines that such practices amount to human trafficking and serious human rights violations; calls for the EU and its Member States, together with international partners, to counter these practices, including through sanctions, awareness-raising and support for victims, and urges third countries to prevent such recruitment;

9. Condemns the inhumane treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian Federation, including torture and executions, in violation of international humanitarian law and calls for their immediate and unconditional release; calls for the EU, its Member States and the international community to step up efforts, including through diplomatic and legal means, to ensure compliance with international law and to facilitate further prisoner exchanges; calls on the International Committee of the Red Cross to fully exercise its mandate under international humanitarian law, by ensuring unhindered and regular access to all places where Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians, including those detained, are held; notes that Ukraine continues to uphold its obligations under international law in its treatment of prisoners of war;

10. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to significantly increase health-related assistance and ensure rehabilitation needs are fully reflected in EU support frameworks; urges the Commission and the Member States to sustain and expand, if needed, support for Ukrainian refugees currently hosted across the Member States, as well as for internally displaced persons within Ukraine;

11. Calls for the EU and its Member States to combat Russian disinformation about the war, by fully restricting activities associated with Russian state-controlled media organisations and their contributors across EU Member States, extending relevant individual sanctions lists, pursuing legal accountability for those complicit in state-run propaganda, strengthening digital literacy, promoting fact-based information with special attention to countries specifically targeted by Russian propaganda outside Europe and holding social media platforms accountable for spreading harmful content by strictly enforcing the Digital Services Act;

12. Strongly underlines Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defence, in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter, including the right of Ukraine, while engaged in a defensive struggle, to strike legitimate targets in the territory of the aggressor, Russia; notes with deep concern the 99 % reduction in US military aid in 2025; therefore commends NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirement List initiative, as well as the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine mission; welcomes the leadership of the EU and its Member States in being the primary provider of financial and military support for Ukraine, including through the training initiatives of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine and the financing and provision of military support, such as air defence systems and deep strike capabilities; calls for the EU and its Member States to increase assistance to uphold Ukraine’s right to self-defence; highlights that sufficient and predictable military assistance, including access to funding for weapons production, support for such production outside Ukraine and cooperation between the EDTIB and Ukraine’s defence industry, is crucial for Ukraine’s effective resistance to Russia’s aggression, particularly in the light of the drastic reduction in US military aid;

13. Notes that the pace of Russian territorial gains in Ukraine slowed down in 2026 and Ukraine regained territory in April 2026, at the same time as Russia sustained particularly high losses; is convinced that Ukraine can and must prevail and that the outcome of the conflict is not predetermined; considers, therefore, that sustained and enhanced EU military support can have a decisive impact on the battlefield; calls on the Member States to act with greater determination and urgency, including by significantly stepping up and accelerating the delivery and financing of arms and ammunition to Ukraine;

14. Specifically, urges Germany to send long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine and calls on other Member States to urgently provide Ukraine with additional air defence capabilities, including Patriot systems as well as missiles for Patriot, SAMP/T, NASAMS, IRIS-T and HAWK systems;

15. Welcomes international diplomatic efforts to bring the war to an end and commends Ukraine’s constructive approach; stresses, however, that peace negotiations must be preceded by a sustainable ceasefire; underlines that any peace must be just and sustainable, in full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; stresses that any peace agreement should neither harm Ukrainian and European strategic interests, nor place limitations on Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and choose its security and political alliances free from any Russian veto; stresses it must be based on full respect for the principles of international law, accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression, and on Russian reparations for the massive damage caused in Ukraine; stresses it should include a commitment by Russia to immediately cease its hybrid warfare against the EU and its partners, including Ukraine, and should also include the return of all kidnapped Ukrainian children and imprisoned Ukrainian civilians and a full exchange of prisoners of war, including the remains of fallen soldiers; stresses that any such agreement should provide robust and credible security guarantees to Ukraine, amounting to the level of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union as soon as the state of war has formally ended; acknowledges that Ukraine views EU accession as an important security guarantee, especially in light of Article 42(7 ) of the Treaty on European Union;

16. Reiterates that only Ukraine can determine the terms of a peace agreement acceptable to its people; insists that nothing about Ukraine should be decided without Ukraine, and nothing about Europe without Europe; reaffirms that any agreement aimed at ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine goes well beyond Russia and Ukraine, with profound implications for the European security order as a whole; stresses that any such agreement can only be reached with the participation of the EU and its Member States; calls on the Commission and the Member States to explore the possibility of appointing and fully empowering a high-level European negotiator to represent the EU and its Member States in diplomatic talks with a precisely defined mandate; calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Council to develop, in coordination with Ukraine and in consultation with the Member States, a strategic scenario document for the post-war security and cooperation architecture on the European continent, reflecting the lessons learnt from the past and containing potential parameters of future relations with Russia after the end of the war, including the issues of security, energy, borders, accountability and reparations;

17. Strongly regrets that so far Russia has shown no willingness towards sustainable peace and only uses its diplomatic contacts with the United States as part of a psychological warfare campaign to undermine international support for Ukraine; in this regard, reiterates the need to increase pressure on Russia and condemns the partial easing of sanctions against Russia decided by the United States, denounces the United States’ position of making US security guarantees for Ukraine conditional on Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Donbas; recalls that engaging directly with Russia without exerting meaningful pressure, publicly renouncing major leverage, reducing military support, refusing to implement additional sanctions and lifting those already in place, blackmailing Ukraine into giving preferential access to US companies for reconstruction and access to natural resources, and attempting to coerce Ukraine into making territorial concessions and relinquishing its legitimate right to self-defence, are all elements of a diplomatic effort doomed for failure;

18. Insists that the EU and its Member States, together with partners and allies, must contribute to robust and legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine to deter further Russian aggression, which should be reinforced by binding mechanisms to monitor compliance, systematically coordinate assistance, and guarantee sustained, long-term support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and reconstruction; welcomes the conclusions of the meeting of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in Paris on 6 January 2026; strongly welcomes the proposal for a multinational ‘reassurance force’ for Ukraine, and encourages all EU Member States to thoroughly reflect on how they can best support such a force; welcomes the agreement to finalise a politically and legally binding commitment to restore peace and security in the case of a future armed attack by Russia, and a clear framework for support for Ukraine; reiterates its calls for a coalition of willing EU Member States to explore how to set up a defensive European-led integrated air protection zone that could employ combat air patrols over uncontested areas of Ukraine, which would help to protect Ukrainian civilians from indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure, offer proactive defence against Russian incursions into EU airspace, and shift the balance of power to help force Russia to the negotiation table;

19. Calls, in light of the need for greater pressure on Russia, for increased and more comprehensive and structural sanctions against Russia and its allies, with the aim of depriving it of resources necessary to finance its military machine and sustain its aggression against Ukraine, including targeted individual sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights and Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act) against those responsible for grave human rights violations; calls for greater alignment of sanctions lists with those of like-minded partners; strongly calls for increased administrative capacity and financial resources to improve design, implementation and enforcement of EU sanctions; insists that no sanctions should be lifted before a peace agreement is negotiated and sustainably implemented; calls on the Council and the Member States to systematically tackle the issue of sanctions circumvention; emphasises that sanctions are having a clear impact on the Russian economy, but reiterates that the sanctions regime needs to be broader and its implementation stricter if it is to have the required effect of limiting Russia’s funds for its war of aggression; calls, therefore, for the reinforcement and expansion of sanctions targeting Russia’s primary sources of revenue, including but not limited to the energy, raw materials, financial and transport sectors; calls for the EU and its Member States to work in a coordinated manner towards banning trade and commercial activities with Russia and Belarus, paying particular attention to goods and technologies with potential dual-use applications, and to prohibit the transit of goods to and from the Union via their territories; calls for a full ban on Russian steel products;

20. Calls for intensified efforts to dismantle Russia’s shadow fleet operations, which pose a substantial and growing risk to maritime safety, particularly in the strategically vital Baltic Sea; urges the Member States to strictly respect EU legislation and halt all imports of the Russian liquefied natural gas and natural gas, revenues from which have been steadily supporting the Russian war machine and undermining the effectiveness of EU sanctions and the EU’s support for Ukraine;

21. Deplores the harsh decisions made by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee regarding Ukrainian athletes’ freedom of expression during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, as well as World Aquatics’ decision to remove sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes and the Venice Biennale’s decision to readmit Russian artists; highlights the fact that sports and culture are actively used by the Russian and Belarusian regimes for state propaganda and to alter the narrative regarding the perpetrators of gross human rights violations and war crimes; expresses solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes who have been discriminated against, and calls for the EU and its Member States to ensure the full application and enforcement of European competition law; calls for the prevention of the issuance of EU visas to Russian athletes and artists who do not distance themselves from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;

II. Long-term financial support to Ukraine and war reparations

22. Commends the Commission’s announcement in January 2026 that it would provide EUR 90 billion in critical support for Ukraine’s budgetary and military needs over the 2026-2027 biennium and welcomes the necessary flexibility featured within the package under the derogation regime laid down in Article 13(5) of the proposed regulation establishing the Ukraine Support Loan for 2026 and 2027; welcomes the fact that the Council is finally in a position to resolve the deadlock preventing the operationalisation of the Ukraine Support Loan and calls for the Ukraine Assistance Fund, under the European Peace Facility, to be unblocked; calls on the Governments of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czechia to reconsider their opt-out arrangement and participate in the guarantees for the loan;

23. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt a more comprehensive, long-term and strategic approach to supporting Ukraine, going beyond ad hoc assistance measures; stresses the need for a structured and multi-dimensional EU strategy combining sustained military, economic and industrial support; calls, in this regard, for a significant scaling-up of European defence production capacities and the establishment of coordinated, pan-European procurement mechanisms to ensure the timely and sufficient delivery of ammunition and equipment to Ukraine;

24. Reiterates its firm conviction that Russia must pay for the massive damage caused in Ukraine; underlines the need for a predictable multiannual financial framework for Ukraine that will help Ukraine to cover recovery and defence expenses during the Russian aggression without yearly uncertainty; regrets that the Commission and the Council did not agree on the Commission’s proposal for a Reparations Loan using the cash balances associated with Russian sovereign assets and welcomes the Council’s calls for the Commission to continue working on the technical and legal aspects of the instruments establishing a Reparations Loan based on the cash balances associated with Russia’s immobilised assets in order to pay for Ukraine’s defence, reconstruction and reparations; reaffirms the need to transfer those immobilised assets to a dedicated special-purpose vehicle;

25. Welcomes the agreement on the Convention on the Establishment of the International Claims Commission and urges its swift ratification; salutes the Commission’s proposal to initiate the process for the EU to become a founding member of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, as a step towards ensuring accountability for the crime of aggression and supporting international justice efforts; calls for stronger EU support for evidence-gathering and preservation of evidence of Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, including a significant increase in financial, technical and forensic assistance to Ukraine’s war crimes prosecutors and investigative bodies;

III. Commitment to EU accession and on accession negotiations

26. Strongly welcomes Ukraine’s continued dedication to meeting EU membership requirements and its ability to make progress on the EU accession path; emphasises that Ukraine’s performance must always be considered in the context of Russia’s continued war of aggression and its negative impact on Ukraine’s democratic processes and public administration;

27. Reaffirms that while the EU enlargement process must remain strictly merit-based, objective and based on the Copenhagen criteria and the conditions of the enlargement framework, enlargement constitutes a mutually beneficial geostrategic investment in peace, stability and security on the European continent as well as a moral obligation; stresses, therefore, that Ukraine’s future lies in the EU and recognises Ukraine’s European integration as a strategic priority for the Union;

28. Commends the adoption of Ukraine’s National Programme for the Adaptation of Ukrainian Legislation to European Union Law as a key instrument for structured and transparent planning of the legislative alignment process, including its own ambitious timeline for the completion of all necessary steps to meet benchmarks by the end of 2027;

29. Welcomes the completion of the screening process for all clusters, taking note of the Commission's and the Council's assessment that Ukraine has made substantial progress towards the opening of negotiating clusters; salutes the March 2026 European Council's invitation to the Council to open all negotiating clusters without delay and calls on the Council to act immediately to follow up on that decision, starting with the fundamentals cluster; meanwhile, welcomes the decision by the Commission and the Cyprus Presidency of the Council to continue negotiations at the technical level in anticipation of opening the negotiations in the future;

30. Strongly urges all Member States, and in particular the new Hungarian Government, to stop vetoing the opening of negotiating clusters and to cease using Ukraine’s EU membership prospect in domestic politics and political campaigning;

31. Is aware that Ukraine's potential accession to the Union will have significant budgetary implications; stresses, however, that the majority of reconstruction costs are expected to be covered by sources other than the EU budget and will require, in addition to huge domestic efforts, the contribution of international financial institutions, private investment and partner countries; underlines the importance of preserving and further strengthening public support in the Member States and in Ukraine for the enlargement process and Ukraine’s accession, which requires bespoke, fact-based communication at EU and national levels, including on how to address legitimate concerns about the impact on certain economic sectors and EU policies, such as the common agricultural policy;

32. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to exercise maximum innovative thinking to ensure that discussions around Ukraine's EU membership do not become a negative factor in peace talks, for other accession countries, or for Ukraine's domestic politics; repeats its call to enhance the EU's capacity to act through the simplification of decision-making processes, such as the introduction of qualified majority voting for intermediate steps in the enlargement process when deciding on the opening and closing of individual negotiating clusters and chapters, fully in line with the Treaties;

33. Considers that Ukraine's cooperative and forward-looking policy towards neighbouring countries, including the resolution of bilateral disputes and historical dialogue, contributes to progress in the accession process and underlines that the accession process should not be misused to obstruct merit-based progress on the European path or to outweigh the broader strategic interests of the Union, and that such matters must rather be addressed through open dialogue and genuine cooperation;

IV. Democracy and democratic institutions

34. Commends Ukraine’s extraordinary efforts to strengthen democratic institutions during wartime; is concerned however about the recent deterioration of relations between the legislative and executive branches of government; strongly urges all stakeholders to restore productive relations between the government and the Verkhovna Rada and calls on all political actors in Ukraine, in particular those currently in power, to foster political unity and coherent, inclusive policymaking, urging Ukraine's political forces to remain united around the country's defence and its EU integration path; specifically, calls on the Ukrainian authorities to uphold the principle of division of powers, multi-party pluralism and inclusion, ensuring due regard for the competences and rights of local authorities and local self-governing bodies, respect for the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, including media pluralism, in line with the democratic principles and values that Ukrainians are so resolutely and bravely defending; calls for the EU institutions to deepen their engagement with the Verkhovna Rada;

35. Reiterates the critical importance of internal political unity as a fundamental pillar of Ukraine’s long-term resilience in the face of the Russian Federation’s continuing aggression; reiterates, furthermore, the importance of upholding parliamentary pluralism as a cornerstone of democratic governance; underscores the need for constructive and meaningful cooperation among all parliamentary political forces represented in the Verkhovna Rada, with the aim of strengthening political, military, economic and social resilience and the implementation of EU accession criteria;

36. Reiterates the pivotal role of the Verkhovna Rada in the timely adoption of the reforms; emphasises the importance of respecting and reinforcing the institutional role of the Verkhovna Rada, and supports ongoing reform efforts to enhance its legislative capacity, oversight of the executive and accountability to the public; is concerned about delays in the adoption of such laws and calls on the Verkhovna Rada and its members to establish an expedited procedure for their swift adoption, while fully upholding parliamentary scrutiny of legislative proposals;

37. Urges the Government of Ukraine and the opposition to actively seek ways and practical modalities, including exploring new approaches to broad-based political cooperation, to work together in advancing European reforms on Ukraine’s path towards EU membership; recalls its concern regarding restrictions on foreign travel by members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and reiterates its recommendation to lift restrictions on mandate-related and political foreign travel for members of parliament; recommends strengthening the lawmaking capability of the Verkhovna Rada to produce better quality legislation and combat ‘legislative spamming’ where multiple parallel draft laws of poor quality circulate on the same topic;

38. Welcomes Ukraine’s continued participation in the Eastern Partnership and the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly; welcomes Verkhovna Rada opposition members' participation in its meetings;

39. Commends Ukraine's extraordinary efforts made in preparation for democratic elections, to be held once martial law is lifted, and insists that appropriate time be allowed to meet the necessary standards and conditions for free and fair elections; recalls that, in accordance with widely recognised democratic principles and Ukraine's Constitution, elections cannot be held during wartime and under martial law, and that they require an overall safe situation and adequate time for preparation and access to information to meet international standards; therefore considers the US administration’s pressure on Ukraine to hold elections while Russia’s war of aggression continues and the country is in a state of martial law to be inappropriate and considers that this does not serve the purpose of democratic legitimacy;

40. Recognises the important work of the working groups created by the Verkhovna Rada in developing election legislation for the first post-war elections; calls for the EU and its Member States to provide assistance in reforming Ukrainian election legislation, including removing obstacles preventing forcibly displaced persons from participating in parliamentary and presidential elections, and to provide financial assistance, particularly for organising voting outside Ukraine; recommends that the European Union fully support and prepare a long-term international Election Observation Mission;

41. Recalls that Russia’s war of aggression is also being waged in the information sphere and strongly condemns Russia’s attempts to delegitimise Ukrainian institutions; underlines that Russia’s cognitive warfare targets public support for Ukraine in European democracies, including through support for diverse political parties; therefore insists that Ukraine receive EU assistance in countering foreign information manipulation and interference during its post-war elections, similar to the assistance provided to the Republic of Moldova, and urges Ukraine and the EU to join forces for this purpose;

42. Commends the restoration of parliamentary broadcasts, which has bolstered Ukraine's democratic legitimacy; recognises the challenges of maintaining pluralistic media in wartime conditions; stresses that any restrictions introduced under such extraordinary circumstances are not permanent in nature and should be regularly reviewed and adjusted, where appropriate and feasible, in line with the evolving situation; emphasises that the prolongation of the war does not in itself justify the indefinite continuation of restrictions, and that, as Ukraine’s resilience strengthens, such measures should be progressively eased, with only those strictly necessary and proportionate to national security considerations remaining in place;

V. Rule of law and judicial reforms

43. Commends the adoption of the 10-point reform priority plan (the so-called Kos-Kachka plan) agreed between the EU and Ukraine in December 2025, as an important step towards strengthening the rule of law, advancing judicial reform and reinforcing anti-corruption efforts; welcomes the ongoing work to implement the plan and encourages Ukraine to deliver concrete results as soon as possible, moving key reforms beyond discussion or working-group stages;

44. Underlines the importance of timely and full implementation, including through clearly defined milestones, measurable indicators and effective monitoring mechanisms; expresses concern at the limited progress in certain priority areas and urges the Ukrainian authorities to accelerate implementation on the basis of clear benchmarks and sustained political commitment, as timely, credible and effective implementation will be essential for strengthening Ukraine's democratic resilience and advancing its EU accession process;

45. Welcomes the creation of the Ukraine2EU flagship initiative, initiated by the EU, Lithuania and Denmark and later joined by Sweden, Ireland and Poland, which provides targeted assistance to Ukrainian state institutions as they navigate the steps to complete the EU accession process and prepare for EU membership; highlights the importance of technical assistance projects such as this one and calls for them to be continuously supported and for more Member States to become involved; also praises the efforts of civil society organisations in monitoring implementation and supporting further reform advancement;

46. Welcomes Ukraine's advances in judiciary reform and the fight against corruption and recognises that such progress is being made under the extraordinary pressure of war; calls for sustained and accelerated progress in these critical areas, as strong rule of law enables transparency and accountability in the reconstruction and economic recovery processes and improves the investment climate and the trust of international partners; welcomes the implementation of the rule of law roadmap adopted in May 2025 and underlines that this progress is directly connected to increasing public trust in state institutions;

47. Remains concerned about the failure to appoint internationally vetted judges to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine; calls on the Verkhovna Rada to adopt the Law on the Constitutional Court in line with Venice Commission opinions, ensuring a transparent selection procedure with international-expert participation and a two-thirds parliamentary majority for appointments; urges Ukraine to utilise available international expertise and assistance in the transformation of the judiciary, while recognising that institutional improvement requires implementation of broader measures to strengthen performance and independence; calls for progress to be made on a comprehensive reform of the National Bar Association of Ukraine as a matter of priority for 2026;

48. Urges Ukraine to invest additional effort in ensuring the professionalism and integrity of judicial office holders; underlines the need for transparent appointments in the judiciary and effective investigation and sanctioning of corruption offences at all levels; encourages Ukraine to reform the selection and dismissal process of the Prosecutor General and to limit undue influence on individual cases, including through automatic case assignment and restricted access to case files; encourages the judiciary to continue investing in new technologies to help overcome understaffing and high workloads; commends the judiciary for continuing its work under challenging conditions and Ukraine's civil society for monitoring the implementation of rule of law reforms;

49. Calls for a reform of the Security Service (SBU) and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), building on President Zelenskyy’s initiative as announced on 2 January 2026, in particular addressing the focus of SBU on counter-intelligence, anti-terrorism and other sources of security threats, as well as the potential for abuse of powers and upholding human rights; appreciates the efforts undertaken to reform those institutions during wartime; regrets, however, that the draft law on the SBI reform had not been adopted in the plenary of the Verkhovna Rada by the end of April 2026; recognises the contributions of the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine for its important work on European integration, including on security sector reform, the rule of law and accountability;

50. Calls for a review of the Criminal Procedure Code and related legislation to deliver swift, high-quality justice, in particular through a review of provisions that provide for the automatic closure of investigations due to the expiry of pre-trial investigation time limits and shortened investigation time limits, which endanger effective investigations of complex criminal cases, including high-level corruption cases; also urges the Ukrainian authorities to address pre-trial detention practices and abuses of procedural rights; encourages greater transparency in access to public records, while acknowledging wartime security needs; salutes the introduction of a new law on lobbying;

51. Urges the Ukrainian authorities to refrain from any politically motivated judicial proceedings and from introducing personal sanctions against opposition representatives and leaders of civil society organisations; stresses that such practices risk undermining democratic standards and public trust;

VI. Fight against corruption

52. Welcomes progress made by the specialised anti-corruption agencies in uncovering and prosecuting high-profile cases and praises the implementation of whistleblower mechanisms; highlights that recent exposure of high-level corruption is evidence of both the need to keep fighting corruption and the success of efforts to do so; recognises that Ukraine has achieved remarkable success in the investigation and prosecution of corruption; stresses that a solid and irreversible track record of investigations, prosecutions and final convictions in high-level corruption cases remains essential; warns that any backsliding in anti-corruption reforms would seriously undermine public trust and Ukraine's European integration path;

53. Welcomes the large-scale recruitment of new employees to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO); welcomes, furthermore, the approval of NABU's development strategy and the initiation of work on SAPO's institutional development strategy;

54. Highlights the crucial work undertaken by key anti-corruption institutions, such as NABU, as well as the efforts made by civil society to maintain the independence of anti-corruption administrations and increase their efficiency; welcomes the appointment of the international members of the selection commission for SAPO, while expressing concern about the ethical issues raised in relation to one of the Ukrainian members; welcomes the substantive progress made in interviewing candidates through a rigorous, independent, inclusive and transparent process for the High Anti-Corruption Court by the Public Council of International Experts and the High Qualifications Commission of Judges;

55. Insists that the Ukrainian authorities guarantee the institutional and operational independence of NABU and SAPO; denounces any political interference, instrumentalisation or intimidation targeting anti-corruption institutions, including unwarranted inspections, prosecutions or operational constraints, and demands an immediate end to undue pressure from security and intelligence services, including the SBU; stresses that safeguarding NABU and SAPO is a core prerequisite for the rule of law, Ukraine's EU accession process and the credible use of international support;

56. Reiterates the necessity for the National Agency on Corruption Prevention to improve its asset declaration verification procedures and to focus its efforts on senior officials in areas identified as high-risk; urges Ukraine to fully implement the reform of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency, including its necessary by-laws; regrets that law enforcement agencies, other than the specialised anti-corruption bodies, have made limited progress in improving their track record on anti-corruption cases;

57. Salutes Ukraine's membership of the Working Group on Bribery of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as a positive step towards full membership and as a further affirmation of Ukraine's commitment to international standards of transparency and good governance; acknowledges Ukraine's progress in implementing anti-bribery legislation for international transactions as a mark of a country integrating itself into the global community of responsible economic actors, and encourages Ukraine to continue its efforts to sustain this progress;

58. Reiterates the importance of a continuous fight against organised crime; urges Ukraine to take additional efforts to step up the fight against scams and online fraud;

VII. Fundamental freedoms and human rights

59. Commends Ukraine’s commitment to upholding fundamental rights despite the ongoing Russian aggression, and commends the national minorities action plan in particular; encourages Ukraine to maintain a structured and constructive dialogue with neighbouring Member States with regard to the rights of members of national minorities, in accordance with European standards and the Venice Commission’s recommendations; appreciates the efforts made by the Ukrainian authorities to reform the education system and expresses the hope that the provisions of the Law on Education that will enter into force in 2027 will not undermine minorities' right to education in their native language;

60. Calls on Ukraine to ensure continued support for freedom of expression and media independence; calls on Ukraine to ensure that martial law restrictions are strictly necessary and proportional; calls for prompt, independent and effective investigation of cases of intimidation and direct harassment, as well as indirect forms of pressure on journalists and media institutions; recalls the crucial role of adequate financing in ensuring the independence of public broadcasting, enabling it to fulfil its role as enshrined in Ukrainian law, and calls on the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that content produced by the publicly funded media is representative of Ukraine’s political and societal pluralism;

61. Encourages the adoption of bill no 13597 strengthening legal protections against discrimination, hate crimes and hate speech on grounds of race, skin colour, political, religious and other beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, ethnic, social or foreign origin, age, state of health, disability, family and property status, family rights and responsibilities, place of residence, language, occupation or on other grounds, in line with Ukraine’s commitments under the Association Agreement and the EU accession process;

62. Welcomes Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to modernise its civil legislation; underlines the importance of ensuring that any such reforms are fully in line with EU standards on equality and non-discrimination, including the protection of the rights of women and LGBTIQ+ people; welcomes the recent ruling by Ukraine’s Supreme Court recognising a same-sex couple as a de facto family; calls for the adoption of draft law no 9103 on legal recognition of civil partnerships in Ukraine;

63. Commends the scrutiny and advocacy by Ukrainian civil society that resulted in a promise by Ukrainian lawmakers to withdraw draft amendments to the Family Code that would have allowed courts to approve child marriage for girls aged 14 in exceptional cases; urges the Verkhovna Rada to ensure that these provisions are indeed permanently withdrawn;

64. Calls on Ukraine to proceed with the adoption of the stalled legislation on personal data protection;

65. Welcomes the adoption of a deinstitutionalisation strategy and the work on the reform of accessibility and rehabilitation services; stresses, however, the need to swiftly adopt legislation on the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, while ensuring that these inclusive reforms reach local and community levels;

66. Takes note of the adoption of the law that will allow the Orthodox parishes from Ukraine to disaffiliate from the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate and to decide freely on their new hierarchical affiliation; notes that, in August 2024, Romanian Orthodox parishes in Ukraine submitted a request for the recognition of the religious association ‘Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine’ to which Romanian Orthodox parishes disaffiliating from the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate may adhere; calls on the Ukrainian authorities to register, without further delay, the religious association ‘Romanian Orthodox Church in Ukraine’;

VIII. Role of civil society

67. Commends Ukrainian civil society for remaining active despite the hardships endured in wartime; urges all Ukrainian authorities to ensure systematic and meaningful consultation with civil society and social partners, to ensure that the input received from them is duly taken into account and to combat any form of political pressure put on civil society organisations; calls on Ukraine to adopt the Law on Citizens’ Appeals to ensure good governance and citizens’ participation; recognises the importance of civil society in relation to enhancing the resilience of the Ukrainian people during the war and emphasises the crucial role that civil society is to play in the sustainable post-war recovery of Ukraine;

68. Welcomes the use of digital democracy instruments, including electronic petitions and open letters, and supports more structured and institutionalised forms of civic engagement, including for diaspora communities;

69. Calls on the Commission to systematically include civil society and other relevant societal organisations and institutions in Ukraine in the design and monitoring of EU financial support and reforms;

70. Welcomes the contribution of European and international non-governmental organisations in exchanging experience with and in supporting Ukrainian civil society, in particular their engagement in countering Russian disinformation campaigns directed against Ukraine and Ukrainians within the EU; calls for further enhancement of cooperation with these organisations in order to protect fundamental rights, strengthen information resilience and support credible public discourse;

IX. Single market integration

71. Underlines the importance of accelerating Ukraine’s gradual integration into the EU single market, which carries economic benefits for both sides, Ukraine and the Member States; stresses that this is a crucial element of EU economic support in fighting Russian aggression and preparing Ukrainian industry to operate under the conditions of the EU single market; recommends that Ukraine follow the 10 priorities outlined in the priority action plan of the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area;

72. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take into account the close links between reconstruction and the prospective integration of Ukraine into the EU’s single market; stresses that the reconstruction plan should include measures to foster regulatory alignment and support investment in critical infrastructure, transport networks and rail links, thereby facilitating compliance with single market standards and enhancing trade and economic cooperation with the Member States;

73. Welcomes the fact that Ukraine joined the EU’s ‘Roam Like at Home’ area in January 2026, which will provide the Ukrainian population with one of the most tangible and instantly felt benefits of their country’s EU accession process;

74. Welcomes Ukraine’s increased efforts to align its positions with the EU and the World Trade Organization; encourages close coordination with the EU on international trade negotiations, in particular with a view to the gradual integration of Ukraine into the EU single market and to strengthening its participation in global value chains;

X. Defence cooperation

75. Acknowledges that Ukraine’s defence industry has become a vital and complementary component of European security, particularly as regards drone production capacity, battle-tested innovation in unmanned systems, electronic warfare and battlefield software;

76. Welcomes, therefore, the increased cooperation on security and defence matters between Ukraine and the EU and its Member States, particularly through the European Peace Facility and calls for enhanced cooperation under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument and the European defence industry programme (EDIP) to meet the critical defence needs of Ukraine and facilitate the integration of Ukraine's defence industry into the EU's industrial ecosystem; underlines the importance of Ukraine's accession to the European Defence Fund as an associated country and calls for the swift conduct of the necessary negotiations; welcomes the establishment of the EU-Ukraine Task Force on Defence Industrial Cooperation and of the BraveTech EU initiative; calls for the EU to support the integration of Ukraine’s defence technological and industrial base within the EDTIB, including through EDIP and the future European Competitiveness Fund; acknowledges that Ukrainian expertise on the battlefield has once again been demonstrated in the Middle East while defending the Gulf States; reiterates that Ukraine has the most experienced military in Europe;

77. Emphasises the strategic importance of the organisation of regular joint military exercises and the progressive integration of Ukraine into EU-led training and operational frameworks, as a means to enhance readiness, interoperability with European forces, and alignment with NATO standards; calls, in addition, for increased joint investment initiatives between the Union and Ukraine in the defence industrial sector, including co-development and co-production of military equipment, which would strengthen Ukraine’s self-defence capabilities; calls for sustained measures to strengthen the linkage between the Ukrainian and European defence technological and industrial bases, reduce strategic dependencies, and contribute to long-term security and stability on the European continent;

78. Stresses the strategic importance of enhancing military mobility to support Ukraine’s defence and resilience, ensuring the rapid deployment of equipment and humanitarian aid to Ukrainian forces; underlines the critical role of Black Sea littoral states and eastern border countries in facilitating secure transit routes, pre-positioning of materiel, and joint operational coordination with Ukraine; calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen infrastructure, interoperability, and logistical frameworks in these regions, including through joint exercises and targeted investments, in order to enhance Ukraine’s operational capabilities, strengthen its territorial integrity and deter further aggression;

79. Welcomes the adoption of Ukraine’s veterans policy strategy for 2030; stresses the importance of the effective reintegration of Ukrainian war veterans into civilian life as an important component of Ukraine’s long-term recovery and social cohesion; highlights the growing number of veterans with disabilities and the need to strengthen the implementation of accessibility policies and the rights of persons with disabilities; calls for the EU and its Member States to further support Ukraine in this regard; recognises the strategic value of Ukrainian veterans’ experience for European security and defence including their unique know-how in modern warfare, such as countering unmanned systems, battlefield medicine and casualty evacuation in high-intensity conflict; underlines the need to prevent their vulnerability to social marginalisation and hostile manipulation, including by the Russian Federation;

80. Calls on the Commission to develop appropriate frameworks to integrate Ukraine’s unique wartime experience in civil protection, critical infrastructure resilience, the fight against disinformation, and governance under full-scale military aggression into the Union’s preparedness, resilience and security policies;

81. Acknowledges the substantial political, financial, humanitarian, and military assistance provided to Ukraine by non-EU countries and international partners since the beginning of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion in 2022; underlines that this broad coalition of support reflects a shared commitment to upholding international law and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations; highlights in this regard the important contribution made by the United States, which has provided over USD 66.9 billion in military assistance; further highlights the important role of the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Norway, New Zealand and Australia, which have aligned with international sanctions against the Russian Federation and contributed to supporting Ukraine’s military and to the training of personnel, as well as to humanitarian and macro-financial assistance for Ukraine; recognises the important assistance provided by Türkiye, including military and humanitarian support and diplomatic efforts; further acknowledges the humanitarian assistance provided by the Republic of Moldova, demonstrating regional solidarity in the face of continued Russian aggression;

XI. Regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations

82. Welcomes the resolution of the dispute between Ukraine and Hungary (and Slovakia) concerning the interrupted deliveries of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline; underlines that there was no shortage of supply in Hungary or Slovakia as a result of the dispute, given the readily available alternative transport options through the Adria pipeline that have the added benefit of not sponsoring the Russian economy; notes that Hungarian companies have increased their imports of Russian energy since the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, contrary to EU policies; notes that fuel prices in Hungary are above the European average and that arguments about increased cost through the Adria pipeline were fictitious;

83. Underlines the obligation of all Member States, not only the Hungarian and Slovak Governments, to phase out dependencies on Russian energy supplies and infrastructure;

84. Condemns the earlier actions of Hungarian law enforcement in the detention of the staff of the Ukrainian bank Oschadbank and the seizure of cash and gold, which was duly authorised by Hungarian customs in advance; welcomes the recent resolution of the dispute;

XII. Socio-economic reforms

85. Commends Ukraine’s adoption of the public administration reform and the ongoing practical incorporation of Ukraine into the EU’s governance structures and economic, regulatory and security frameworks; encourages the Ukrainian Government to adopt a systemic approach to public administration reform and public financial management, ensuring alignment with the existing roadmap, and to improve efficiency; welcomes the adoption of the Public Finance Management Reform Strategy for 2026-2030 and encourages the swift finalisation and adoption of the Strategy on Public Administration Reform for 2026-2030; commends the success of the Create Ukraine programme, which, building on experience gained in Lithuania, helps young Ukrainians with valuable international experience to join the Ukrainian public sector; encourages the expansion of this and similar initiatives to attract professionals back to Ukraine and contribute to its EU accession and post-war reconstruction;

86. Welcomes the progress made in reforming Ukraine’s Economic Security Bureau and its Asset Recovery and Management Agency; welcomes, furthermore, the appointment of the Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine and underlines the importance of advancing customs reform;

87. Notes the positive findings contained in the latest reports of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which point to Ukraine’s economic resilience and progress in macroeconomic stabilisation despite the ongoing war; welcomes the recent adoption of the International Monetary Fund programme worth USD 1.8 billion, and the related reforms; urges Ukraine to swiftly proceed with the implementation of the reforms;

88. Reiterates its call for Ukraine and the Member States to cooperate closely with a view to maximising the potential economic participation of Ukraine’s refugee and diaspora population to ensure resilience and inclusivity of Ukraine’s ongoing and future economic recovery and reconstruction; calls on the Commission to make concrete proposals in this regard; notes that the Temporary Protection Directive, which provided legal status for more than 4 million Ukrainians in the EU is set to expire in March 2027; calls for the EU, its Members States and Ukraine to work towards a coordinated, harmonised and well-communicated policy, which would provide certainty to Ukrainians preparing to return or considering legal pathways to remain in host countries;

89. Underlines that Ukraine’s reconstruction, and related preparatory plans, must be closely linked with its EU accession reforms and guided by principles of social fairness, sustainability, transparency and inclusive local ownership; stresses, furthermore, that Ukraine’s reconstruction must be rooted in robust rule of law, transparent governance and democratic inclusion; emphasises that judicial reform, anti-corruption efforts and public administration improvements are not only conditions for EU accession but also fundamental to attracting investment and restoring trust among Ukraine’s partners and citizens; calls for the integration of gender-sensitive approaches in all reconstruction efforts, including increased representation of women and minorities in decision-making processes for the greatest impact and long-term sustainability;

90. Emphasises that EU cohesion policy, as the principal instrument for promoting economic, social and territorial unity, is essential to achieving the objectives of EU regional policy and to deepening cooperation between regions of the EU and Ukraine; calls for this policy to be taken fully into account in the framework of regional and neighbourhood cooperation;

91. Emphasises the growing importance of Ukraine as a strategic partner for the European Union in the supply of key commodities and critical raw materials, including agricultural products such as cereals, oilseeds and vegetable oils, as well as lithium, titanium and other mineral resources essential for the green and digital transition; urges transparency, public accountability, and national interest safeguards in all privatisation and investment processes; notes that a significant share of critical resources is located in territories temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation; therefore, stresses the need for strengthened EU solidarity with Ukraine in protecting its natural resources, agricultural capacity and territorial integrity;

92. Welcomes efforts to improve tripartite social dialogue in Ukraine, including with the support of the recently signed partnership deal with the EU and the International Labour Organization (ILO); insists that the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and all relevant ILO conventions must be respected throughout the pre-accession process; calls on Ukraine to continue the approximation of labour standards, in particular as regards freedom of assembly and social dialogue; emphasises the need for broad consultations with trade unions and civil society and recommends that the expertise of the ILO be taken into account on the matter; urges Ukraine and the Commission to engage with key social partners, including with independent trade unions, on the design, implementation and monitoring of socio-economic reforms, while recognising the need for reform measures to improve the functioning of the business climate and market economy; calls for greater focus on measures to correct market distortions and social protective measures;

93. Notes reports of state interference in trade union affairs, including the seizure of trade union property; calls for the return of seized trade union assets; calls on the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that trade unionists can freely exercise their mandate and calls for full legal protection against anti-trade union practices; urges the Commission and the European External Action Service to actively monitor the state of labour rights in Ukraine, in close cooperation with the European Trade Union Confederation and the ILO;

94. Calls for sustained efforts to liberalise capital movements, including through alignment with the Single Euro Payments Area Regulation1, and to strengthen the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing;

95. Commends Ukraine’s effective multilevel governance; welcomes progress in advancing decentralisation in line with EU accession requirements; calls for further reforms to empower local self-government in line with the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government;

96. Commends Ukraine for fulfilling 63 out of 68 reform conditions outlined in the Ukraine Plan, originally designed to be implemented after the end of the war and yet carried out during wartime, enabling the disbursement of EUR 26.8 billion in 2025; calls for sustained implementation efforts, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/7922, particularly to encourage Ukraine to align with EU public procurement legislation;

97. Commends the paramount work done on a daily basis by Ukrainian healthcare services, and in particular Ukrainian nurses, all throughout the war; notes that a large share of the workers of the public care sector receive minimum wage pay, which currently stands at UAH 6658 net; recalls that the actual subsistence minimum for one person, calculated by the Ministry of Social Policy in December 2025, was UAH 10979; highlights, furthermore, the need to introduce specific and reasonable regulation of nurses' workload;

XIII. Energy, transport and sustainable development

98. Welcomes the substantial progress made on energy sector reforms and Ukraine’s alignment with the objectives of the European Green Deal and Clean Industrial Deal and commends Ukraine for making good progress in implementing its national energy and climate plan, despite Russia’s widespread destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure; stresses that alignment with EU initiatives, including the European Green Deal and the Clean Industrial Deal, should take into account Ukraine’s immediate reconstruction needs, economic competitiveness and long-term energy security;

99. Calls for the EU and its Member States to intensify support for Ukraine’s energy system, underlining that greater resilience in Ukraine directly contributes to Europe’s wider energy security; stresses that sustained and predictable energy support for Ukraine is essential to safeguarding civilian resilience, economic stability and the continuity of critical services amid ongoing attacks and ahead of the next winter season; calls on the Commission to identify energy sector reconstruction as a priority, moving from ad hoc emergency aid towards long-term mechanisms for recovery, protection and modernisation of the energy sector;

100. Underscores that Ukraine has substantial potential as a provider of energy and energy-intensive products to the rest of Europe; calls for the acceleration of Ukraine’s integration into the EU energy market, as one of the elements contributing to the Union’s security, including through regulatory synchronisation and investments in renewable energy sources; calls for the continued development of energy interconnections with neighbouring EU Member States and regional partners, such as the Republic of Moldova, with a view to Ukraine’s further integration in the EU energy market; calls on the Commission and the Member States to intensify investments in the expansion and modernisation of cross-border energy interconnections with Ukraine and to further integrate and harmonise transmission networks as a key preparatory step towards the integration of Ukraine into the EU internal energy market;

101. Notes the strategic importance of a future deal for the sale of two VVER-1000 nuclear reactors from Bulgaria to Ukraine as an example of deepening energy cooperation, and notes, furthermore, that this will contribute to Ukraine’s energy security; highlights the project’s potential to strengthen regional energy connectivity and the integration of the Ukrainian energy system into the EU’s energy system; encourages the further development of joint initiatives in areas such as energy infrastructure, including power transmission lines and energy storage, as well as the improvement of intermodal transport links, with a view to facilitating supply chains, logistics and trade between the two countries and in the wider Black Sea region;

102. Notes Ukraine’s calls for a temporary force majeure exception to the introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism or related measures to take into account the impact of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine’s ability to reduce the carbon footprint of its industries; encourages the Commission to engage in consultations with the aim of identifying mutually acceptable temporary solutions in this regard;

103. Urges Ukraine to use reconstruction to build back better by using the most climate-friendly technologies and most cost-effective and reliable solutions for Ukraine’s energy sector wherever possible, investing in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, and minimising the impact on the environment throughout the production chain; welcomes the Commission’s continued engagement in this area to support Ukraine’s energy sector reform; calls on the Commission and the Ukrainian authorities to strategically use the funds under the Ukraine Facility to prioritise investments in renewable energy sources; calls for the advancement of the implementation of existing commitments under the Ukraine Plan and the energy community packages, including the unbundling of regional energy distribution companies;

104. Welcomes Ukraine’s efforts to align its transport policy with the EU acquis and to strengthen connectivity with the Union; stresses the importance of implementing the national transport strategy and the strategy for developing and expanding border infrastructure with EU Member States and Moldova; calls for the sustainable modernisation of rail, road, port and border-crossing infrastructure to be accelerated in line with TEN-T priorities; calls on Ukraine to accelerate railway reform, including alignment with the EU rail safety and interoperability acquis;

105. Emphasises, at the same time, that compliance with environmental standards in the implementation of energy and transport projects is of crucial importance for advancing the reform agenda necessary for Ukraine’s path toward EU membership; stresses the importance of the EU supporting Ukraine to build back better on a foundation of environmental and social sustainability; calls for the EU and its Member States to step up support to Ukraine, both financial and as regards expertise, to accelerate its alignment with the EU’s environmental acquis;

106. Highlights that Ukraine continues to face significant environmental challenges, which have been further exacerbated by the ongoing war; notes that the prolongation of the conflict continues to have severe negative impacts on the environment, including pollution of soil and water, degradation of ecosystems and increased pressure on natural resources; expresses concern about the resulting biodiversity loss, including damage to forest, steppe and wetland ecosystems; stresses the importance of integrating environmental protection and sustainability into recovery and reconstruction efforts; calls for strengthened environmental governance, improved monitoring systems and effective implementation of environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment procedures, in line with the EU acquis under Chapter 27;

107. Raises concern about the development of wind turbine farms in protected highland areas of the Carpathian mountains in the west of Ukraine, in particular the planned installation of 30 turbines on Mount Runa; underlines that wind energy provides a more secure and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and calls on Ukraine to pursue its high potential of wind energy development outside of protected areas; stresses that green energy production and nature conservation do not need to be mutually exclusive in Ukraine because there are other areas of land already designated for energy infrastructure development, without unique habitats and primeval forests, and with pre-existing access roads;

108. Expresses deep concern about the ongoing situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which remains under illegal Russian control and continues to pose significant risks to nuclear safety and security due to ongoing military activity in its vicinity; underlines that the engagement of the International Atomic Energy Agency, although essential for ensuring nuclear safety and security, should remain strictly technical in nature; emphasises, in this context, that such engagement should be conducted in full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and should not be construed as affecting the status of the facility; reiterates the importance of ensuring the safe and secure operation of the plant in line with international nuclear safety standards and under Ukraine’s legitimate authority;

109. Recalls that 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which remains one of the most severe nuclear accidents in history; strongly condemns Russia’s targeted attacks on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant site and the catastrophic damage to its protective shield, which was built to contain radioactive material and can no longer perform its main safety function, raising serious nuclear safety risks; notes that the cost of repairs is estimated at EUR 500 million;

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110. 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 Government and Parliament of Ukraine.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

As rapporteur for this important initiative, I am pleased to present a report that reflects a permanent and steadfast strategic commitment to Ukraine by the European Union. The report takes stock of the state of play of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and EU long term financial support as well as of EU sanctions regime and EU accession negotiations over the last year. It reviews Ukraine's progress, against the backdrop of the ongoing war, in the following areas: democracy and democratic institutions, rule of law and judicial reforms, fight against corruption, fundamental freedoms and human rights, the role of civil society, single market integration, defence cooperation with the EU, regional and good neighbourly relations, socio-economic reforms, energy, transport and sustainable development. It praises where possible and encourages where necessary. The reforms, which are the centre piece of the report, are crucial for the preparation of Ukraine to meet the requirements of EU membership. It is therefore imperative that in the lifecycle of this report the negotiations on EU accession of Ukraine begin. In the amendments phase additional aspects and updates improved and complimented the draft report

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register1, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

MINORITY POSITION

pursuant to Rule 56(4) of the Rules of Procedure

on behalf of the ESN Group on the 2025 Commission report on Ukraine

We firmly reject this report. Rather than offering a balanced assessment of the situation in Ukraine and its implications for the European Union, it promotes increasingly unconditional political, financial, and military commitment. By treating enlargement as a geopolitical instrument rather than a rules-based process, the report weakens the credibility of the Union’s own accession framework.

In particular, we oppose:

The continued endorsement of open-ended financial and military support without clear objectives and measurable conditions;

The failure to adequately assess the social, economic, and budgetary consequences of EU policies towards Ukraine for European citizens;

The call to accelerate Ukraine’s accession process despite ongoing concerns regarding systemic corruption, governance shortcomings, and rule of law deficiencies, thereby undermining the principle that EU enlargement must remain strictly merit-based and conditional on full compliance with the accession criteria;

The characterisation of Ukraine’s accession as a moral obligation and a predetermined strategic priority for the EU, which prejudges the outcome of the accession process and undermines the principle that membership must depend exclusively on objective criteria and the unanimous consent of the Member States.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted

3.6.2026

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

54

17

5

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

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