What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

4 unchanged paragraphs

on the 2025 Commission report on Ukraine

(2025/2259(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Ukraine,

Added:– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 24 June 2022 granting Ukraine candidate status, of 15 December 2023 endorsing the opening of accession negotiations, and of 20 March 2025,

Added:– having regard to its resolution of 11 March 2026 on the EU enlargement strategy,

Added:– having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2026 on the implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2025 and to its resolution of 11 March 2026 on the EU enlargement strategy,

Added:– having regard to the Ukraine Facility and the Ukraine Plan,

Added:– having regard to the Joint Statement between Commissioner Marta Kos and Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Taras Kachka of 11 December 2025,

Added:– having regard to Ukraine’s roadmaps on the rule of law, public administration reform, and the functioning of democratic institutions, as well as the action plan on the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities (communities) of Ukraine, approved in May 2025,

Added:– having regard to the National Programme for Approximation of the Acquis, adopted by the Government of Ukraine on 1 April 2026,

– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘Ukraine 2025 Report’ (SWD(2025)0759), and to the accompanying Commission communication entitled ‘2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2025)0690),

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed:– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0000/2026),(A10-0172/2026),

Change 1

Changed:A. whereas Parliament condemns, in the strongest possible terms, theRussia’s Russianwar of aggression against UkraineUkraine, which is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and of the fundamental principles of international law and international humanitarian law, demonstrated by widespread and systematic war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainians to Russian territory, particularly of children, which are acts that demand full accountability and justice; whereas Parliament supports Ukraine’s right to sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders; whereas Russia invaded Ukraine and could stop the brutal war it is waging against its neighbour at any moment;

Change 2

Removed:B. whereas Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable resilience in its path towards EU membership, despite the ongoing Russian war of aggression;

Added:B. whereas Russia, with the political, material and military support provided by its allies – in particular Belarus, Iran and North Korea as well as support from China – has been waging an illegal, unprovoked and unjustified full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine since 24 February 2022; whereas Russia’s war against Ukraine began in 2014 with the illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea and the subsequent occupation of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;

Removed:C. whereas Ukraine remains committed to aligning its legislation with the EU acquis;

Added:C. whereas Russia’s recent and ongoing violations of the sovereignty of European states confirm that its objectives extend far beyond Ukraine and pose an existential threat to Europe’s freedom and democracy;

Removed:D. whereas progress has been made, yet more efforts are needed to strengthen the rule of law in Ukraine and combat corruption;

Added:D. whereas, despite broad international condemnation and unprecedented sanctions, Russia is escalating its war efforts through targeted attacks on critical energy infrastructure, residential buildings and civilian infrastructure; whereas millions of people in Ukraine survived the recent freezing winter temperatures with limited electricity, heating and running water; whereas the environmental damage caused by Russia over the past four years has also had devastating consequences for Ukraine’s natural resources and critical ecosystems and for its people’s health, livelihoods and security;

Removed:E. whereas Ukraine’s democratic institutions have demonstrated adaptability under martial law; whereas Ukraine should continue working to ensure transparency and the balance of power;

Added:E. whereas, as a result of the Russian invasion, over 4 million Ukrainians are currently living in EU Member States under the temporary protection mechanism and benefit from rights to residence, access to the labour market, housing, medical care, social welfare assistance and education for their children;

Removed:F. whereas civil society remains a pillar of resilience and democracy in Ukraine, though instances of pressure against activists raise concerns and require government action;

Added:F. whereas Ukraine, by defending itself against Russia, is significantly contributing to the security of the European Union; whereas the EU and its Member States have been Ukraine’s biggest provider of financial, economic, military and humanitarian assistance since the start of the full-scale invasion; whereas since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU and its Member States have so far provided around EUR 75 billion in military assistance to Ukraine; whereas support for Ukraine should also help to reinforce the EU’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and the Union’s strategic autonomy, and should not lead to any greater dependence on external actors;

Removed:G. whereas EU integration is widely supported across Ukrainian society and institutions, and remains a fundamental driving force for Ukraine’s democratic development;

Added:G. whereas, since the beginning of the illegal and ongoing occupation of parts of Ukraine’s territory in February 2014, the Russian Federation has been committing persistent and widespread violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the temporarily occupied territories;

Added:H. whereas Ukraine and international bodies have documented hundreds of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces; whereas such executions constitute serious violations of international law and human rights and are explicitly recognised as war crimes under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;

Added:I. whereas at least 20 000, and possibly up to 35 000, Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia and Belarus, or detained in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories;

Added:J. whereas, in response to Russia’s war of aggression, the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the Damage Register for Ukraine were set up in The Hague, and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is in the process of being established; whereas the Commission has adopted a proposal initiating the process for the European Union to become a founding member of the Special Tribunal; whereas the International Criminal Court has indicted Vladimir Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova for war crimes; whereas an International Claims Commission for Ukraine was inaugurated on the margins of the 135th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Chisinau, Moldova on 14 May 2026; whereas the International Claims Commission will strengthen the capacity to ensure accountability for international crimes committed in and against Ukraine and to uphold Ukraine’s right for full reparation of damages following from Russia’s illegal actions;

Added:K. whereas Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination in its path towards EU membership – a choice that reflects the enduring will of the Ukrainian people, despite the ongoing Russian war of aggression, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands, inflicted deep trauma on survivors, families of victims, veterans and their families, and civil society, left many cities and vital civil infrastructure in ruins, and led to the continued occupation of parts of its territory by Russian forces;

Added:L. whereas Ukraine’s struggle is not only for the right to live free and to choose its alliances freely, and not only for its sovereignty, peace, stability and security, but also for the preservation of the substance of democracy under existential pressure; whereas the resilience of Ukrainian democracy will ultimately be judged not only by its ability to resist external aggression, but by its willingness to protect pluralism, inclusiveness, openness and political diversity within the country;

Added:M. whereas Ukraine’s European integration is a strategic investment in peace, security, democracy and prosperity for the entire continent; whereas the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence is not dependent on the speed of the country’s European integration;

Added:N. whereas the current Copenhagen criteria require not only formal alignment with EU law but also effective implementation and guarantees of fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law; whereas each country’s path towards EU integration must be assessed on its own merits and no country should be coupled with another or treated as part of a package;

Added:O. whereas Ukraine remains committed to aligning its legislation with the EU acquis and has continued to take steps to implement reforms despite Russia’s war of aggression; whereas in 2025 Ukraine reached 84 % implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement;

Added:P. whereas the Commission has confirmed that Ukraine has completed the bilateral screening process for all negotiation chapters and is ready to open all negotiation clusters, beginning with the fundamentals cluster;

Added:Q. whereas progress has been made, yet more efforts are needed to strengthen, inter alia, the rule of law in Ukraine and to combat corruption;

Added:R. whereas ensuring the transparent and accountable use of international and EU financial support and future reconstruction funds requires robust, independent and well-functioning anti-corruption institutions, as well as effective democratic oversight involving civil society and social partners;

Added:S. whereas international experts working in judicial selection commissions have helped to build public trust in the judicial system by strengthening the independence of the judiciary; whereas international experts’ involvement in the selection of the High Qualification Commission of Judges ended on 1 June 2025;

Added:T. whereas Ukraine’s democratic institutions have demonstrated adaptability by showcasing that, even amid Russia’s ongoing war of aggression and under martial law, they continue to serve the interests of the citizens and implement EU accession-related reforms; whereas Parliament welcomes indications that preparations for elections may begin once martial law has ended and the security situation allows elections to be held in line with international standards; whereas Ukraine should continue working to protect its democracy and ensure transparency and the balance of power;

Added:U. whereas civil society remains a pillar of resilience and democracy in Ukraine, though instances of pressure against activists and trade unions raise concerns and require government action;

Added:V. whereas EU integration is widely supported across Ukrainian society and institutions, and remains a fundamental driving force for Ukraine’s democratic development; whereas Ukraine’s EU membership will also strengthen the Union itself by contributing to its geopolitical resilience, enhancing its economic potential, and reinforcing its commitment to shared values of democracy, rule of law, and freedom;

Added:W. whereas the latest Eurobarometer report on enlargement indicates that 56 % of EU citizens support further enlargement of the European Union, with Ukraine being the most favoured candidate for accession once all EU membership criteria have been met;

Added:X. whereas Russia continues to pursue and intensify efforts aimed at justifying its aggression against Ukraine through the deliberate falsification of history, the manipulation of historical narratives, and the strategic use of religious, cultural and value-based narratives aimed at distorting public discourse, denying and delegitimising Ukraine’s national identity, statehood and sovereignty and preventing Ukraine’s accession to the European Union; whereas such activities are consistent with the Russian Military Doctrine approved on 25 December 2014 and subsequent strategic documents, including the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation approved by President Vladimir Putin on 31 December 2015, which emphasise the protection of ‘traditional Russian spiritual and moral values’ against perceived Western influence; whereas this approach was further reinforced in the 2021 National Security Strategy, which elevated the safeguarding of ‘traditional values’, the promotion of the concept of the ‘Russian World’ (Russkiy Mir), and the protection of ‘compatriots abroad’ to core national security priorities, thereby demonstrating the sustained and systematic use of cultural, religious and civilisational narratives as tools of geopolitical influence and justification for aggression against Ukraine;

Added:Y. whereas according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy, over 3 million Ukrainians are recognised as having one or more disabilities, and this number is expected to increase by 17 000 each month, largely due to the ongoing war;

Added:Z. whereas the environmental damage caused by Russia has caused devastating consequences for Ukraine’s natural resources and critical ecosystems and for the health, livelihoods and security of its people; whereas green recovery is about remedying that damage and setting Ukraine on a new path of environmental and social sustainability aligned with the environmental laws in the EU acquis;

Added:AA. whereas a 2024 survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology confirmed that Ukrainian society’s attitude towards LGBTIQ+ people remained predominantly neutral or positive, with over 70 % of Ukrainians surveyed supporting equal rights for LGBTIQ+ people;

Added:AB. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has caused immense human suffering and destruction and the scale of the human devastation makes it imperative to seek a just, sustainable and lasting peace;

I. State of play of the Russian war of aggression and EU sanctions

Change 3

Changed:1. ReiteratesCondemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s ongoing illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, and reiterates its unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine and its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, within its internationally recognised borders; stronglyreaffirms underlinesits Ukraine’spolicy inherentof rightnon-recognition toof self-defence,all inthe lineillegally withand Articletemporarily 51occupied territories of theUkraine UNby Charter;Russia, including Crimea;

Change 4

Removed:2. Calls for the EU and its Member States to increase assistance to uphold Ukraine’s right to self-defence; insists that the EU and its Member States, together with partners and allies, must contribute to robust and legally binding security guarantees for Ukraine to deter further Russian aggression;

Added:2. Demands that the Russian Federation immediately and unconditionally cease all military activities in and against Ukraine and withdraw all its forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, including its territorial sea; underlines that the brave people of Ukraine have paid the highest price to protect Ukraine and, by extension, Europe's security;

Removed:3. Commends the Commission’s announcement in January 2026 that it would provide EUR 90 billion in critical support for Ukraine’s budgetary and military needs over the 2026-2027 biennium;

Added:3. Expresses its deepest sympathy and full solidarity with all those affected by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including members of the armed forces, veterans, the families of those killed or injured, internally displaced persons, refugees, and all civilians enduring the severe humanitarian, health, psychological, social and economic consequences of the war;

Removed:II. Commitment to EU accession

Added:4. Condemns the widespread and systematic attacks perpetrated by the Russian Federation against the Ukrainian civilian population, particularly through attacks to critical energy and water infrastructure, which constitute blatant violations of international humanitarian law;

Removed:4. Strongly welcomes Ukraine’s continued dedication to meeting EU membership requirements; welcomes the completion of the screening process for all clusters and strongly urges Hungary to stop vetoing the opening of negotiating clusters; welcomes the decision by the Commission and the Cyprus Presidency of the Council to continue negotiations at the technical level in anticipation of opening the negotiations in the future;

Added:5. Strongly deplores the grave violations against Ukrainian children, including murder, mistreatment, forced transfer and deportation, as well as illegal adoption, the alteration of their personal data and the restriction of contact with their families; further condemns their forced Russification and exposure to military-patriotic training, war propaganda and militarisation; calls for the immediate, safe and unconditional return of kidnapped children and calls for the EU to prioritise child mental health as a dedicated component of its recovery support; calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen support for Ukrainian authorities, as well as international and non-governmental organisations, in documenting these crimes and identifying, repatriating, reintegrating, rehabilitating and supporting the affected children; welcomes the growing engagement in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, as a key platform for coordinated international action aimed at the return of unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children;

Removed:III. Democracy, the rule of law and the fight against corruption