OSCE Permanent Council No. 1563 - EU Statement on the Russian Federation’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine

Russia's war on Ukraine's civilians and civilian infrastructure has escalated in 2026 with frequent barrages of hundreds of drones and missiles. Deliberate daytime strikes on roads and vehicles have also become a regular occurrence in regions behind the front line. Over the past week, Russian systematic attacks across Ukraine have struck civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, schools, public transport, shopping centres, power lines and port facilities. Multiple civilian casualties and extensive damage were reported. On May 5 alone, following strikes across several regions of Ukraine, 27 people were killed and 120 more injured. The European Union strongly condemns these attacks and demands Russia to cease its aggression, withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. 

We commend the fortitude, determination and resilience of the Ukrainian people and their leadership in resisting Russian aggression and defending their land. Ukraine has managed to stand its ground and push back against Russia’s enormous pressure, preventing Russia from achieving its military and strategic objectives.

We fully support this week’s proposal by President Zelenskyy for a ceasefire, which follows constant and long-standing attempts by Ukraine to end hostilities and engage in peace negotiations. We deplore that Russia has once again ignored it and has continued its relentless attacks on Ukraine and the killing of innocent civilians. President Putin’s call for a short-term ceasefire on 8-9 May is regretfully not about protecting the lives of innocent civilians. We urge Russia to show its genuine commitment to peace by agreeing to a full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire and engage in meaningful negotiations. 

Ensuring accountability for violations of international law, including international humanitarian law (IHL), international human rights law (IHRL) and for alleged international crimes, as well as compensation for damages remains a key prerequisite for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine—one firmly rooted in international law and the Helsinki Final Act. 

The work of journalists and media actors is essential for ensuring accountability and public awareness in the context of Russia’s war of aggression, as it supports the documentation of violations of IHL and IHRL, and provides verified information to the public and international institutions. Journalists are civilians and must be protected at all times in armed conflicts. While marking is World Press Freedom Day, we restate the importance of respecting media freedom and safety of journalists and we honour all those who have risked their lives and continued reporting under extremely dangerous conditions. Some lost their freedom or their lives. We welcome the recent training of Ukrainian journalists within the Support Programme for Ukraine, with the expertise of RFoM, aimed at strengthening their capacity to safely operate in high-risk environments amid Russia’s war. The OSCE plays and will continue to play a role in view of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

This week, we have heard from the Reckoning Project on their work on advancing  accountability in Ukraine, by training journalists and researchers to collect legally robust evidence and testimonies of war crimes for use in courts and international investigations. Their vital work also amplifies survivors voices and exposes Kremlin disinformation. 

We reiterate 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 safe return of all deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. 

Mr Chair,

The EU will continue to provide strong and comprehensive political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, in close coordination with like-minded partners and allies. 

We will further increase pressure on Russia and its third-country facilitators and continue weakening its war economy so that it ceases its aggression and engages in meaningful negotiations towards peace. 

We urge all countries to immediately cease any assistance to Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine, whether direct or indirect, and notably through the provision of dual-use goods and components. In particular, we strongly condemn the deployment of the DPRK’s military forces in the war against Ukraine as well as the continued military support provided by Iran, Belarus and the DPRK, among others.

 Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Ukrainealign themselves with this statement.