EU leaders call on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine

Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the European Council adopted a resolution in which the EU leaders confirmed their support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and called on Russia to immediately withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, the resolution of the EU summit has been published on the website of the European Council.

Below is the text of the resolution.

1. The European Council reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter. Russia’s brutal war, which has lasted almost a full year, has brought immense suffering and destruction upon Ukraine and its people. Russia must stop this atrocious war immediately. The European Union will stand by Ukraine with steadfast support for as long as it takes.

2. The European Union’s support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and its inherent right of self-defense against the Russian aggression remains unwavering. The European Union will maintain and seek to further increase, in consultation with international partners, collective pressure on Russia to end its war of aggression and to withdraw its troops and military equipment from Ukraine. To further raise the cost to Russia of its war of aggression, a price cap on petroleum products has been adopted. The European Union stands ready to continue to reinforce its restrictive measures in close coordination and cooperation with global partners. Anti-circumvention measures will be reinforced.

3. The European Council reiterates its strong commitment to accountability. Russia’s continuing deadly, indiscriminate strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure are international crimes and must stop. International humanitarian law, including on the treatment of prisoners of war, must be respected. Ukrainians who have been forcibly transferred to Russia, in particular children, must be immediately allowed to return safely.

4. The European Union is firmly committed to holding to account all commanders, perpetrators and accomplices of war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The European Council fully supports Ukraine’s and the international community’s efforts in this respect, including the establishment of an appropriate mechanism for the prosecution of the crime of aggression, which is of concern to the international community as a whole. It underlines the European Union’s support for the investigations by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court as well as for the creation, in The Hague, of an international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This center will be linked to the existing Joint Investigation Team supported by Eurojust.

5. The European Council reiterates the European Union’s readiness to support Ukraine’s initiative for a just peace based on respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. To date, Russia has not shown any genuine willingness regarding a fair and sustainable peace. The European Council expresses its support for the peace formula of President Zelensky and reaffirms the European Union’s commitment to work actively with Ukraine on the 10-point peace plan. The European Union supports the idea of a Peace Formula Summit aiming at launching its implementation. The European Union will work together with Ukraine to ensure the widest possible international participation.

6. The European Council acknowledges the considerable efforts that Ukraine has demonstrated in recent months towards meeting the objectives underpinning its candidate status for EU membership. It welcomes Ukraine’s reform efforts in such difficult times and encourages Ukraine to continue on this path and to fulfil the conditions specified in the Commission’s opinion on its membership application in order to advance towards future EU membership. The European Union acknowledges Ukraine’s determination to meet the necessary requirements in order to start accession negotiations as soon as possible. The European Union looks forward to working closely with Ukraine and supporting it in its efforts to fully meet all conditions. The European Council reiterates that Ukraine’s future lies within the European Union.

7. The European Council reaffirms the commitments taken in the joint statement following the EU-Ukraine Summit. The European Union will continue to provide strong political, economic, military, financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes. Overall assistance to Ukraine and its people by the European Union and its Member States so far amounts to at least EUR 67 billion. The European Union and Ukraine will fully exploit the potential of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, so as to establish conditions for enhanced economic and trade relations leading towards Ukraine’s integration into the EU’s Single Market.

8. The European Union has approved a seventh tranche of EUR 500 million in military support to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility and launched the EU Military Assistance Mission to train an initial 30 000 soldiers in 2023. This brings the total military support from the European Union and its Member States to nearly EUR 12 billion. In view of the current situation, the European Council welcomes the speedy provision of military equipment to Ukraine by Member States.

9. The European Union remains committed to supporting the macro-financial stability of Ukraine. The European Council welcomes the work of the Commission and the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank on projects to swiftly expand the use of the Solidarity Lanes to enhance trade options across sectors and opportunities for export from Ukraine.

10. The European Union remains committed to supporting, along with partners, Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction. In this context, the European Council welcomes the operationalization of the Donor Coordination Platform. The European Union, together with partners, is stepping up its work towards the use of Russia’s frozen and immobilized assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and for the purposes of reparation, in accordance with EU and international law.

11. The European Council also stresses the importance of psychological and psycho-social support and rehabilitation, as well as of the reintegration of war veterans into active social life. The European Union and its Member States will step up support for related programs, including through specialized expertise. The provision of demining assistance will also be stepped up.

12. The European Union reiterates its commitment to reinforce support of displaced persons, both in Ukraine and in the European Union, including through adequate and flexible financial assistance to the Member States who carry the largest burden of medical, education and living costs of refugees.