OSCE Special Permanent Council No. 1368, Vienna, 11 April 2022

1. The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms the attack that struck Kramatorsk railway station on Friday and claimed the lives of more than 50 people, including five children, injuring scores of others, many of them critically.  We are profoundly shocked by this brutal, indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians, including many children, who were fleeing amid fears of another Russian onslaught against their homes and country. We mourn the victims and our thoughts are with their families and the Ukrainian people.

2. The perpetrators of war crimes or crimes against humanity, as well as any responsible State officials and military leaders, must be and will be held accountable. There will be no impunity for war crimes. The EU supports all measures to ensure accountability for human rights violations and international humanitarian law in Ukraine by the Russian Armed Forces. In particular, we fully support the investigation launched by the ICC Prosecutor into war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as the work of the OHCHR Commission of Inquiry. The EU is assisting the Ukrainian Prosecutor General and Civil Society focused on collection and preservation of war crimes evidence. We also look forward to the imminent report of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism expert Mission, and we highly appreciate the ODIHR Ukraine Human Rights Monitoring Initiative.

3. The international community is largely united in this stance. Last Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by a clear majority a resolution to suspend the rights of membership of the Russian Federation in the Human Rights Council due to the scale and gravity of Russia’s violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

4. Two words can only describe what is happening: failure and horror. Failure of the Russian army to overcome the courage of the Ukrainian people and horror over the indiscriminate attacks against civilians, and civilian infrastructure, killings, summary executions, and sexual violence against innocent civilians, including women and children. The European Union is appalled that these egregious violations of international humanitarian law are becoming the norm for the Russian strategists of this premeditated and unprovoked war against the sovereign and independent Ukraine. Atrocities committed by Russian forces in Bucha, Borodyanka, Irpen and other towns and villages recently liberated by the Ukrainian army from Russian occupation, and the brutal attack on the Kramatorsk railway station, are all part of the Kremlin’s deplorable destruction tactics to annihilate the Ukrainian nation. The torment of Mariupol and other besieged Ukrainian cities and towns that Russian shelling has reduced to ashes will forever live in infamy.

5. Blatant attempts to hide or whitewash Russia's responsibility for this and other crimes using disinformation and media manipulations are unacceptable. We repeat what was already stated: everyone here can see through these obvious lies. We categorically reject and strongly condemn the reprehensibly cynical attempts we see in Russian state-run media and by diplomats in this and other international fora to justify Russia’s brutal and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

6. We repeat our call on Russia to fully respect Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and territorial waters. We demand that Russia immediately and unconditionally cease its military actions and withdraw all its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine. Russia must also urgently and unconditionally provide safe pathways, both for civilians to evacuate to other parts of Ukraine, as well as for those delivering humanitarian assistance. We also reiterate our call on the co-aggressor, Belarus, to stop enabling the Russian aggression by allowing Russian forces to use its territory and to abide by its international obligations.

7. The EU commends the Ukrainian people's strength, courage, and resistance in withstanding Russia's aggression, and stands with them in firm solidarity, as was also demonstrated on Friday by the visit of the President of the European Commission Von der Leyen and High Representative Borrell in Kyiv. The EU will continue to provide coordinated political, financial, material and humanitarian support and will advance, as a matter of urgency, work on further sanctions against Russia and Belarus. The #StandUpForUkraine campaign has raised more than €9.1 billion for people fleeing bombs, inside and outside of Ukraine. And once the bombings have stopped, we will help the people of Ukraine rebuild their country. A free and prosperous Ukraine that belongs to the European family.

8. The world is standing up for Ukraine. Ukrainian people are holding up the torch of freedom for us all. Your fight is our fight.

I kindly ask that this Statement be appended to the Journal of the Day.

The Candidate Countries REPUBLIC of NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, and ALBANIA*, the EFTA countries ICELAND, LIECHTENSTEIN, members of the European Economic Area, as well as UKRAINE, GEORGIA, ANDORRA, and MONACO align themselves with this statement.

* Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.