Brussels, 23 March 2023
The European Council held an exchange of views with United Nations Secretary-General Guterres.
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UKRAINE
- The European Council reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter, and recalls the European Union’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression.
- The European Council welcomes the UN General Assembly Resolution on ‘Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine’, which was adopted with broad support from the international community. It reiterates its support for President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. The European Union will continue to work with Ukraine on the 10-point peace plan.
- Russia must stop its aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces and proxies from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. International humanitarian law, including on the treatment of prisoners of war, must be respected. The European Council condemns in the strongest terms sexual and gender-based violence. Russia must immediately ensure the safe return of Ukrainians forcibly transferred or deported to Russia, in particular children. In this context, the European Council takes note of the arrest warrants recently issued by the International Criminal Court, against Russia’s President and his Commissioner for Children’s Rights, for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
- Russia must immediately cease actions endangering the safety and security of civilian nuclear facilities in Ukraine. The European Union fully supports the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- The European Union is firmly committed to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including through 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. In this context, the European Council welcomes the agreement to create the new International Centre for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) in The Hague, which will be linked to the existing Joint Investigation Team supported by Eurojust. It reiterates its support for the investigations of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The European Council welcomes the upcoming negotiations on a new Convention on international cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other international crimes.
- The European Union remains committed to maintaining and increasing collective pressure on Russia, including through possible further restrictive measures, and to continue working on the oil price cap together with partners. The European Council underlines the importance and urgency of stepping up efforts to ensure effective implementation of sanctions at European and national level and is firmly committed to effectively preventing and countering circumvention in and by third countries. The European Council invites the Council and the Commission to strengthen all necessary enforcement instruments and to develop, together with Member States, a fully coordinated approach to that effect. The European Union will intensify its work with partners to counter false Russian narratives and disinformation about the war.
- The European Union stands firmly and fully with Ukraine and will continue to provide strong political, economic, military, financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes. The European Union and Member States are increasing their efforts to help meet Ukraine’s pressing military and defence needs. Taking into account the security and defence interests of all Member States, the European Council welcomes the agreement in the Council to urgently deliver ground-to-ground and artillery ammunition to Ukraine and, if requested, missiles, including through joint procurement and the mobilisation of appropriate funding including through the European Peace Facility, aiming at providing 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition in a joint effort within the next twelve months, without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States.
- The European Union remains committed to supporting Ukraine’s repair, recovery, and reconstruction, in coordination with international partners. In this context, the European Council reiterates the EU’s full support for establishing an international mechanism to register the damages Russia has inflicted. Together with partners, the European Union will continue to step up work towards the use of Russia’s frozen and immobilised assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction and for the purposes of reparation, in accordance with EU and international law.
- The European Council welcomes Ukraine’s commitment and reform efforts, and underlines the importance of Ukraine’s EU accession process, in line with its earlier conclusions, notably those of 23-24 June 2022.
- The European Union will continue to provide all relevant support to the Republic of Moldova, including to strengthen the country’s resilience, security, stability, economy and energy supply in the face of destabilising activities by external actors, as well as support on its accession path to the European Union. The European Council invites the Commission to present a support package ahead of its next meeting.
- The European Council condemns the continued military support for Russia’s war of aggression provided by Iran and Belarus. It urges all countries not to provide material or other support for Russia’s war of aggression.
- Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its weaponisation of food have undermined global food security. In that context, the European Council takes note of the extension of the UN Black Sea Grain Initiative. This initiative, the EU’s Solidarity Lanes and the Ukrainian ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative are instrumental in bolstering global food security. It stresses the need to ensure the continued availability and affordability of agricultural products for the countries most in need.
Source – EU Council