NordenBladet —
The Chairpersons of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of European states made a Joint Statement in which they call on supporting Ukraine and helping the war refugees, and underline that all those responsible for the aggression must be brought to justice by international courts. The Statement also appeals to the European Union to provide financial resources to support the countries which are taking in refugees from Ukraine.
“We, the Chairpersons of our Parliaments’ Foreign Affairs Committees, condemn the Russian aggression against free and independent Ukraine. There is no justification for the criminal actions taken by Russia. Killing defenceless civilians and destroying residential, school, and medical facilities exclude Russia from the community of civilised countries. Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine is a war crime.
We call on the authorities of the EU Member States and NATO, and all friendly countries that respect democracy, freedom, and human rights, to introduce the strongest possible sanctions that will prevent the Russian Federation from continuing its war against Ukraine.
We recall the reprehensible and illegal aid given to Russia by Belarus. The activities of the Lukashenka regime should also meet with a response from the international community in the form of sanctions to stop further support for military actions.
The barbaric actions of the Russian army cause dramatic suffering of the civilian population and destroy Ukrainian towns and villages. There are reports of bombing hospitals, schools, places of worship, facilities, culture, residential buildings, and shelters. Systematic bombardments terrorise the civilian population. Ten million Ukrainian citizens were forced to leave their homes and flee, of which over three and a half million seek refuge outside Ukraine. This is the largest migration crisis in Europe since World War II. We appeal for increased humanitarian and military support for Ukraine. Each country separately, the European Union and NATO, have a moral duty to support the fighting Ukraine. Therefore, we recommend the earliest possible launch of procedures that will allow Ukraine to become a candidate country and then a full member of the European Union when it meets the membership criteria. And already today, we propose that Ukraine should be admitted to the Three Seas Initiative.
We support the same European perspective for the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, which in the past have also experienced Russian aggression.
Countries of Central and Eastern Europe bear the most significant burden in organising humanitarian aid. Therefore, we call on the European Union to provide financial resources to support the countries which are taking in refugees from Ukraine. Helping the victims of war is our duty, but it is also a huge challenge. We, therefore, appeal to the international community to show solidarity and provide all possible assistance to the refugees.
We strongly express our conviction that Russia bears full responsibility for this war, and for the destruction and suffering of millions of Ukrainian citizens. All those responsible for the aggression must be brought to justice by international courts.”
Text of the Statement and names of the signatories
Source: Parliament of Estonia