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.
1. Over the past week, Russia has continued its attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. On 26 February, Russia launched a massive, synchronized strike involving hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including ballistic missiles, targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, transport routes and civilian areas. Dozens of people were injured across several regions, including children. On 1 March, local authorities reported that at least 6 people were killed and 28 injured across the country from continued Russian missile and drones strikes, further increasing the civilian casualties. 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. According to United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the last four years of hostilities have killed more than 15,000 civilians and injured over 41,000. In 2025 and 2026, the harm to the civilian population demonstrably worsened: more civilians were killed and injured than in 2023 and 2024, and civilians across the country suffered the dire consequences of sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
3. In 2025, women civilian casualties rose by 27% compared with 2024, increasing from 4,618 (810 killed and 3,808 injured) to 5,883 (892 killed and 4,991 injured). 2.5 million Ukrainian women and girls have fled the war since 2022. Moreover, Russia’s war of aggression has exposed the Ukrainian women to heightened risks of violence, economic hardship, disrupted healthcare, and caregiving burdens. The growing evidence of widespread sexual and gender-based violence, including as a tactic of war by the Russian Armed Forces, as documented extensively by the reports of ODIHR, the Moscow Mechanism and the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, remains of grave concern. Furthermore, many women journalists and media actors face heightened risks of violence, harassment and psychological trauma as a result of Russia’s war of aggression.
4. Ahead of International Women’s Day, we pay tribute to the strength and resilience of Ukrainian women and girls. In both military and civilian capacities, they have made vital contributions to the defence of their country. Ukrainian women and women-led organisations have played a major role in the humanitarian aid, community response and journalism, with many leading humanitarian projects and civil society initiatives, including refugee support, crisis centres, and recovery programmes. Arm Women Now, which started tailoring women military uniforms, and Super Humans, which runs special recovery clinics for war trauma, are just two outstanding examples. We express our appreciation of the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine, which also includes assistance for survivors of gender-based violence.
5. Despite attempts to exploit winter hardships for strategic purposes, by constantly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, Russia has not succeeded in undermining Ukraine’s resilience. The European Union will continue to support Ukraine resist. We will continue to strengthen Ukraine. We will continue to provide, in coordination with like-minded partners and allies, comprehensive political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people.
6. After a year of talks, there is still no ceasefire. It is not Ukraine that is the obstacle to peace, Russia is. We will continue to put pressure on Russia so that it ceases its aggression, which is a flagrant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, as well as of OSCE core principles and commitments, and begins to treat peace talks seriously. In coordination with our allies, we continue to pursue a just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter, international law and Helsinki principles. Any sustainable peace requires robust security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent renewed aggression by Russia. 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. This includes supporting Ukraine’s ability to deter aggression and defend itself effectively.
7. The OSCE plays and will continue to play a role in view of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Through its human rights mechanisms, ODIHR’s monitoring activities and the engagement with civil society, the OSCE provides an important contribution to ensuring full accountability in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
8. We 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, as well as for the immediate, unconditional, and safe return of all Ukrainian children deported to Russia or forcibly transferred within temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
9. In the context of its aggression against Ukraine, Russia has continued to violate the airspace of EU Member States, most recently of Romania, on 25 and 26 February, posing a serious threat to regional security. Condemning such irresponsible acts, we urge Russia to refrain from further breaches of the national airspace of EU Member States.
10.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.
11.We reiterate, again, our unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Russia must stop its aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine.