Colleagues,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, as well as Andorra align themselves with this statement.

I congratulate the organizers for this initiative, and thank the briefers for their courageous testimonies.

There is much to say about Russia’s violations of international law and disregard for human life as part of its illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. Indeed, Russia’s illegal actions have been thoroughly documented by the United Nations and others, from its large-scale and systematic attacks against Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure to the large-scale human rights violations in the territories it currently occupies.

But today’s meeting rightly draws our attention to the inhumane treatment and plight of two groups of people in a particularly vulnerable situation who enjoy protection under international law -- Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees.

The UN’s Independent Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Russian authorities committed crimes against humanity through a coordinated state policy of systematic and widespread use of torture across their detention facilities. There is a disturbing rise in reports of executions of Ukrainian servicepersons captured by Russian forces. Since February 2022, OHCHR has verified the summary execution of 170 civilians, including in places of detention, and 68 prisoners of war. We condemn in the strongest terms the use of torture, ill-treatment and killing of PoWs and civilian detainees.

The EU also condemns prisoners’ lack of access to basic needs such as medical care, food and water, as well as the denial of access for the ICRC and other independent monitors to assess their conditions in captivity and reconnect them with their families.

International humanitarian law, including the third and fourth Geneva Conventions, must be upheld. Russia must ensure unimpeded access of the ICRC and human rights monitoring mechanisms to prisoners of war, both in temporarily occupied territories and in detention facilities in Russia itself.

These actions further highlight that Russia and its leadership must be held fully accountable for waging this war of aggression and for other crimes under international law. Impunity emboldens violators and perpetuates cycles of violence.

Russia’s continuous violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and its attempts to acquire territory through the use of force concern every single UN Member State. We again urge all UN members to cease any and all assistance to Russia’s war of aggression and to speak up in defence of international law and the UN Charter. Protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all UN Member States, regardless of their size and power, is our collective duty.

As the temperature drops below zero degrees, our thoughts go out to the prisoners of war and civilian detainees. We commend efforts to bring them home and hope they will soon be united with their loved ones.

I thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.