Thank you, Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the following EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
The following participating States have joined the Statement: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine.
Mr. Chair,
1. Over the past week, Russia’s brutality has continued to defy all limits. In this period, it struck Ukraine with 1,770 attack drones, more than 1,530 guided aerial bombs, and 86 missiles, including more than 20 ballistic ones. During the night of 14 March, a wave of drones and missiles struck civilian areas and civilian infrastructure, killing four innocent people and inflicting heavy damage in Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolayiv, and Dnipro. These attacks are yet another reminder that Russia has no intention of ending its war of aggression and campaign of terror against Ukraine’s civilian population. Instead of choosing peace, Russia continues to escalate its attacks. Intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate attacks, constitute violations of international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes.
2. Ensuring accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as for all crimes committed in connection with Russia`s war of aggression, remains paramount for achieving the just and lasting peace Ukraine deserves; a peace based on international law, including the rules and principles of the UN Charter and of the Helsinki Final Act. The OSCE Moscow Mechanism and ODIHR reports remain crucial tools in our pursuit of justice. The OSCE plays and will continue to play a role in view of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
3. The latest report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that the “transfer of children by Russian authorities to the Russian Federation or to areas they occupied in Ukraine[..] amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes of deportation and forcible transfer of children”. Russian authorities have systematically failed to disclose the whereabouts of many children to their parents or legal guardians, actively obstructing their return and pursuing their long-term placement with families or institutions in Russia, including through adoption. We reiterate our unequivocal demand for the immediate, unconditional, and safe return of all Ukrainian children who have been unlawfully deported to the Russian Federation or forcibly transferred within the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We recall the six arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, including against President Putin and Maria Lvova Belova, Russia’s “Children’s Rights Commissioner”, for the war crime of the unlawful deportation and unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children.
4. We also restate our demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of war and civilians arbitrarily detained by Russia, including the three OSCE officials: Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov.
Mr. Chair,
5. Twelve years ago, on 16 March 2014, Russia organised a so-called “referendum” in the illegally annexed Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. This sham “referendum” was conducted in violation of Ukraine’s Constitution and international law. Its outcome was illegal, and the international community assessed them as such. Crimea is, and will always be, Ukraine! The Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions also are, and will always be, Ukraine! The EU remains firmly committed to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
6. We remain concerned about the human rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We condemn the politically-motivated persecutions, arbitrary detentions and arrests, cases of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatments or punishments, enforced disappearances, and violations of the right to a fair trial; just as we condemn the suppression of freedom of expression, freedom of conscience and religion, the persecution of independent media, journalists, human rights defenders, and representatives of religious communities, the banning of representative institutions of the Crimean Tatar people, and the forced passportisation, unlawful conscription and mobilisation of residents of the temporarily occupied parts of the territory of Ukraine.
7. The European Union, in close coordination with our international partners, will continue to stand by Ukraine and its people, delivering comprehensive and multi dimensional political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support.
8. The EU and its Member States are ready to contribute to robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine, based on their respective competences and capabilities and in line with international law, in order to prevent renewed aggression by Russia. These include supporting Ukraine’s ability to deter aggression and defend itself effectively.
9. We will maintain and increase pressure on Russia, so that it ceases its aggression and treats peace negotiations seriously. Those who enable this war are paying a price. In addition to renewing sanctions on over 2,600 individuals, the EU adopted new sanctions on 16 March 2026. In the context of the sombre four-year anniversary of the Bucha massacre of February and March 2022, the EU has adopted further restrictive measures against nine individuals who played a major role in those events.
10. We urge Russia to refrain from further breaches of the national airspace of EU Member States, which are irresponsible acts and represent a serious threat to regional security. We strongly condemn the breaches of the airspace of Romania and the Republic of Moldova which occurred on 17 March, in the context of the brutal Russian attacks against Ukrainian ports on the Danube.
11. We condemn the continued support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine provided by third countries, such as the DPRK, Belarus, Iran, and actors and entities therein. We urge the cessation of all assistance, including the provision of military and dual-use goods and other sensitive items that sustain Russia’s military industrial base. As stated by the G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative, China is also a decisive enabler of Russia’s war.
12. Russia must agree to a complete, immediate and total ceasefire, stop its aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine.