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

B100202/2026

European Parliament resolution on ensuring accountability and justice in response to Russia’s continued attacks against the civilian population in Ukraine

(2026/2700(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to the UN Charter,

–having regard to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the additional protocols thereto,

–having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights,

–having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC),

–having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

–having regard to the reports of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,

–having regard to the obligations of third states under international law, including the duty of non-recognition and non-assistance in cases of serious breaches of peremptory norms,

–having regard to the arrest warrants issued by the ICC, including those concerning Vladimir Putin in relation to alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine,

–having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 24 February 2022, has caused immense human suffering, including the killing and injuring of thousands of civilians, and the indiscriminate bombing and destruction of Ukrainian civil infrastructure;

B.whereas the war in Ukraine, which began in 2014, has also resulted in thousands of civilian casualties and caused enormous human suffering;

C.whereas Russia’s continued attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure in Ukraine constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law;

D.whereas the damage caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine is estimated to be unprecedented in scale, with direct damage exceeding EUR 160 billion and total reconstruction and recovery needs estimated at more than EUR 500 billion over the next decade; whereas under international law, the aggressor state bears the responsibility for making full reparation for the damage caused, including compensation to victims;

E.whereas the Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, developed under the auspices of the Council of Europe, provides for the creation of an international mechanism mandated to examine, assess and adjudicate claims for damage, loss or injury caused by the internationally wrongful acts of Russia in the context of its war against Ukraine; whereas this mechanism complements ongoing efforts to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, with the aim of prosecuting those bearing the greatest responsibility, including individuals in senior political and military leadership positions; whereas the creation of such accountability mechanisms must be applied universally and without selectivity, and not in a manner that is alternative to, or in contradiction with, international legal bodies and principles;

F.whereas the ICC has issued arrest warrants in relation to alleged war crimes committed in the context of the war against Ukraine, including against Vladimir Putin;

G.whereas international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties to all conflicts and applied universally;

H.whereas the EU’s credibility depends on the consistent application of international law in all its external actions; whereas serious allegations of violations of international humanitarian law have also been raised in other contexts, including in Gaza, the West Bank, Iran and Lebanon;

I.whereas the EU has failed to ensure consistency in its response to such violations, including by maintaining cooperation agreements and weapons supply; whereas under international law, the EU and its Member States are obliged not to recognise or assist situations arising from serious breaches of international law;

J.whereas the EU continues to preach a rules-based international order, but applies international law selectively, including by imposing sanctions and arms embargoes on Russia while deepening military cooperation with Israel, a state accused of genocide, apartheid and war crimes by multiple UN, civil society and human rights organisations;

1.Reiterates its strong condemnation of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and the indiscriminate targeting of Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure; calls on Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally cease all attacks against residential areas and civilian infrastructure; calls on Russia to permanently cease violating or threatening the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine; condemns the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian population by the Russian army and the indiscriminate destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure; calls, after 12 years of war in Ukraine, for a just and lasting peace, which requires taking into account the causes of the conflict;

2.Reaffirms that deliberate or indiscriminate attacks against civilians constitute war crimes, regardless of the perpetrators, and that those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with international law;

3.Supports the work of the ICC in investigating alleged war crimes committed against civilians in Ukraine and in other countries, including Palestine, Lebanon and Iran; calls for full cooperation with the ICC, including the execution of arrest warrants; stresses that accountability must extend to all those responsible, including individuals in political and military leadership positions;

4.Calls on the Commission to urgently activate the blocking statute in order to protect and safeguard the ICC as an indispensable cornerstone of the international justice system;

5.Calls for the cancellation of Ukraine’s foreign debt in order to ensure that, once the Ukrainian people regain their independence from the Russian aggressor, they do not fall into a new form of economic dependence;

6.Acknowledges the establishment of international accountability mechanisms for Ukraine, including the International Claims Commission for Ukraine and the envisaged Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine; stresses, however, that the credibility of such initiatives is fundamentally undermined by the selective approach of the EU, which promotes accountability in some contexts while failing to act in others; calls, therefore, on the EU and its Member States to urgently promote and support comparable mechanisms, including reparations frameworks and accountability processes, in relation to the widespread destruction and civilian harm perpetrated in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, and underlines that failure to do so constitutes a clear double standard and a breach of the EU’s commitment to international law;

7.Notes that while the EU has adopted far-reaching sanctions against Russia, it has failed to take comparable measures in other situations involving serious violations of international law; expresses deep concern at the EU’s continued cooperation with Israel, including under the EU-Israel Association Agreement; regrets the failure of the Council to suspend this agreement; stresses that sanctions and restrictive measures must be based on international law, not geopolitical alignment, and that the failure to impose sanctions on Israel while imposing sanctions on Russia undermines the EU’s credibility and legal coherence; calls for a fundamental reassessment of EU external action to ensure consistency, legality, and universal respect for human rights and international humanitarian law; calls for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, an immediate end to all military cooperation with Israel and a comprehensive EU arms embargo on Israel, as was applied against Russia;

8.Strongly condemns violations of international law in relation to the use of force, including recent illegal wars initiated by the United States and Israel against Iran and Lebanon, and their systematic attacks against civilians; stresses that international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties to all conflicts and applied without double standards;

9.Denounces the lack of alternative diplomatic and peaceful initiatives by the EU and its dependence on external actors; regrets the alignment of the EU’s positions with those of its allies where this undermines an independent and balanced foreign policy in the defence of international law;

10.Calls for a foreign policy grounded in non-alignment, disarmament, peace, multilateralism and the non-selective application of international law;

11.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.