EPP Group on Russia: Free Ukrainians, stop abuses, let red cross in

Russia must release all detained and deported civilians from Ukraine. In the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine, Russia must refrain from forcibly imposing its passports as a condition for receiving social services or payments. Expropriation of the property of Ukrainians who fled the occupation is also illegal. International law also forbids the resettlement of Russian citizens in the Russian occupation zone.

These are key points from a parliamentary resolution on the human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine, to be voted on today and backed by the EPP Group. On the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war, Michael Gahler MEP, standing rapporteur on Ukraine, said: “If you look at the physical conditions of most of the Ukrainians released and listen to their stories, you have to conclude that Russia is in no way fulfilling its obligation to treat these prisoners humanely. We therefore demand and insist that Russia grant international representatives of the Red Cross access to the prison camps and other sites where they are held. We expect the International Committee of the Red Cross to demand such visits actively and to report back their findings publicly.”

The Resolution also urges Russia to immediately agree and implement a comprehensive "all-for-all" exchange of prisoners of war with Ukraine. It calls on the EU and its Member States to increase humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance for victims of Russian captivity. Parliament also condemns the ongoing persecution of Crimean Tatars in illegally occupied Crimea, and the violent abduction of Ukrainian children with the complicity of Belarus.

“This is one of the strongest Resolutions yet from the European Parliament on Ukraine. The EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine remains our core message. We condemn Russia’s war crimes, the systematic targeting of civilians, and forced deportations. But we also must address the cultural genocide Russia is committing in the occupied territories and hold enablers like China, North Korea, and Laos accountable for aiding Russia’s war effort,” stresses Pekka Toveri MEP, Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee.