EU vows continued support for Ukraine amid ongoing war

BRUSSELS

European Union officials vowed continued support for Ukraine during a debate at the European Parliament's plenary in Strasbourg on Monday, emphasizing the human cost of the war.

During the debate, titled "The human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the urgent need to end Russian aggression," Adam Szlapka, Poland's Minister for European Affairs, representing the country, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, called "Moscow's aggression a manifest violation of the EU Charter and international law."

He stressed that peace must be "comprehensive, just and lasting" and that a full and unconditional ceasefire was a key precondition.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos explained the EU's multilevel approach to addressing the consequences of the war.

She said the European Commission was strengthening mechanisms to pursue war crimes and crimes against humanity, including by supporting investigations by the International Criminal Court and initiatives to help Ukraine prosecute crimes under its own legal framework.

Kos stressed the EU's role in establishing a special tribunal for the crime of aggression and a commission to handle war-related damage. She added that the EU was committed to Ukraine's reconstruction, noting the long-lasting human and economic effects of the conflict.

"Behind every shattered school, every ruined hospital and every empty village is a life interrupted, and it is in our responsibility to help restore the future they were forced to put on hold," she said.