A year ago today, Russia unleashed a renewed unprovoked, unjustified and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, intentionally violating the most fundamental principles of international law and threatening the rules-based international order.
We are united and resolute in our unreserved condemnation of Russia’s aggression and criminal actions and in our steadfast support for Ukraine in words and in deeds.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is a war directed at democracy itself and at the freedom of nations to determine their own system of government and foreign policy course.
Our determination to stand with Ukraine will not waver. The NATO PA will continue to mobilise the support of our parliaments and our citizens for increasing and speeding up the delivery of military, financial, humanitarian, training and intelligence support to Ukraine. Through the Assembly’s special fund for Ukraine, we will also help the Verkhovna Rada strengthen Ukraine’s democracy now and into the future.
We will never, ever recognise any of Russia’s illegal and forcible attempted annexations.
Russia must be held accountable for all of its crimes in Ukraine, including the crime of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and potential acts of genocide. The NATO PA will continue to support the establishment of a special international tribunal to prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression.
We strongly denounce the complicity and support of the Belarusian and Iranian regimes.
Russia launches indiscriminate attacks and deliberately and systematically targets civilian objects and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. The Assembly has urged Allied governments and parliaments to state clearly that the Russian state under the current regime is a terrorist one.
Russia must pay for the damages and losses and help rebuild Ukraine. Our nations must also consider the use of frozen Russian assets to that end.
Russia could put an end to this war today by withdrawing all of its forces from Ukraine’s sovereign territory. But Vladimir Putin has so far only chosen the path of escalation. We will continue to support increased, crippling sanctions and further efforts to isolate Russia on the international stage.
We salute and pay respect to the extraordinary resistance and resilience of the Ukrainian people, who not only defend their homeland but also our shared democratic values. We also pay tribute to our colleagues in the Verkhovna Rada, who have defended and continue to advance Ukraine’s democracy despite Russia’s war. We will continue to stand by them and by Ukraine’s democracy for as long as it takes.
Slava Ukraini!
