On ensuring accountability and justice in response to Russia’s continued attacks against the civilian population in Ukraine

F.whereas according to the fifth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5), as of 31 December 2025, direct damage caused by Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine is estimated at USD 195.1 billion (EUR 166.8 billion), with the housing, transport and energy sectors most affected; whereas socio-economic losses have risen to USD 666.7 billion (EUR 570 billion), driven largely by disruptions to commerce, industry, public services and livelihoods; whereas recovery and reconstruction needs continue to grow and are now estimated at USD 587.7 billion (EUR 502.5 billion) over a 10-year horizon;

G.whereas an International Claims Commission for Ukraine will be inaugurated on the sidelines of the 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Chișinău on 14 May 2026; whereas the International Claims Commission will strengthen the capacity to ensure accountability for the international crimes committed against Ukraine and to uphold Ukraine’s right to full reparation of the damages resulting from Russia’s illegal actions;

H.whereas on 23 April 2026, the Council approved the 20th sanctions package on Russia and adopted the overdue EUR 90 billion Support Loan for Ukraine, with disbursements set to begin in the second quarter of 2026; whereas the package comprises EUR 30 billion in macroeconomic support to Ukraine, channelled via macro-financial assistance or through the Ukraine Facility, along with EUR 60 billion to boost Ukraine’s capacity to invest in defence industrial capacities, including procurement of defence products;

1.Reiterates its condemnation, in the strongest possible terms, of Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine; demands that Russia and its proxy forces immediately, completely and unconditionally cease all attacks against civilians, residential areas and civilian infrastructure, terminate all military action in Ukraine and withdraw all military forces, proxies and military equipment from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine; condemns Russia’s recent vicious attacks against civilians in Kyiv and Odesa on 16 April 2026 and is profoundly appalled by the atrocity of these acts of sheer terror;

2.Reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the courageous people of Ukraine and its support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders; strongly underlines Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defence in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter; emphasises that Ukraine’s resilience continues to be a lasting testament to the strength of democracy when confronted with tyranny;

3.Is appalled by the Russian authorities’ systematic use of torture and other forms of inhumane and degrading treatment against numerous illegally detained Ukrainian civilians; recalls that Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian captives are systematically subjected to torture, including starvation, beatings, various types of coercion, physical, sexual and psychological violence and denial of medical care and legal representation; calls for the EU to impose personal sanctions against Russian officials responsible for violence and torture against imprisoned and detained Ukrainians; emphasises that all those responsible for war crimes perpetrated in Ukraine must be held accountable and stresses that justice is essential for any sustainable peace;

4.Calls for the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the EU to open, in a timely manner, a Delegation of the European Union to the international organisations located in The Hague, including the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which are already located there, and the new international bodies that will be based there, in order to ensure that the EU participates effectively in these important new international structures; supports the signature by the EU of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine with the objective that the EU will also become a full member of the management committee of the Special Tribunal; expresses satisfaction that the EU will become a full member of the International Claims Commission for Ukraine; reiterates its firm conviction that Russia must pay for the massive damage caused in Ukraine; reiterates its numerous demands for accountability for the international crimes committed by Russia and its proxies in and against Ukraine and for the upholding of Ukraine’s right to full reparation of the damages resulting from Russia’s illegal action;

5.Expresses its support for the International Criminal Court’s ongoing investigation into the situation in Ukraine since 2 March 2022 and for the arrest warrants issued for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for the war crime of unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, which were followed by additional arrest warrants for Russian officials, including former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian army chief Valery Gerasimov, Russian Air Force long-range aviation chief Sergei Kobylash and Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Viktor Sokolov;

6.Expresses its satisfaction at the EU’s support for the prosecution of international crimes committed in Ukraine, including its leadership in coordinating the collection of evidence and in supporting the establishment of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, which operates within the existing Joint Investigation Team at Eurojust;

7.Denounces the systematic attempts by the Russian Government to erase Ukraine’s history, culture, language and identity; recalls that the scale of the destruction caused by Russia’s aggression remains severe and that, as of April 2026, direct damage to Ukraine’s cultural infrastructure and heritage is estimated at more than EUR 4 billion; underlines that 346 Ukrainian artists and cultural workers, 135 media professionals, and more than 660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion; decries the fact that since the beginning of the full-scale war, 1 707 cultural heritage sites and 2 503 cultural infrastructure objects have been damaged and 513 completely destroyed, including museums, libraries, theatres and cultural centres;

8.Welcomes the overdue adoption by the Council of the EUR 90 billion Ukraine Support Loan in the form of EU-backed loans; expects, in line with the clarifications provided by the Commission during the plenary session of February 2026, the proper implementation of the flexibility featured within the package under the derogation regime laid down in Article 13(5) of the regulation establishing the Ukraine Support Loan; declares its intention to closely monitor the unimpeded implementation of the Ukraine Support Loan;

9.Welcomes the Council’s adoption of the 20th sanctions package; insists that no sanctions should be lifted before a peace agreement is negotiated and sustainably implemented; calls on the Council to systematically tackle the issue of sanctions circumvention; emphasises that sanctions are having a clear impact on the Russian economy, but reiterates that the sanctions regime needs to be broader and its implementation stricter if it is to have the required effect of limiting Russia’s funds for its war of aggression;

10.Reaffirms the EU’s steadfast commitment to the reconstruction of Ukraine and reiterates its readiness to contribute to rebuilding Ukraine’s economy and infrastructure; stresses the strategic importance of the Ukraine Facility in reinforcing Ukraine’s resilience, accelerating its recovery, and supporting its path toward sustainable development and EU membership;

11.Recalls that at least 819 healthcare facilities have been damaged, 328 of which have been completely destroyed; commends the vital work done on a daily basis by Ukrainian healthcare services throughout the war; strongly condemns the use of sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war and stresses that this constitutes a war crime;

12.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the President, Government and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the United States Congress, the Russian authorities, and the authorities of the other countries mentioned in this resolution.