The EU has urged Russia to stop its war against Ukraine and withdraw its forces from the country’s internationally recognised borders, in a statement delivered at the OSCE in Vienna.
Thee EU and its member states “resolutely condemned” what it called Russia’s “illegal, unprovoked and unjustifiable” war of aggression, describing it as a violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s core principles, the European External Action Service (EEAS) informed.
The consequences of Russian attacks are being recorded “almost on a daily basis” by independent reports, it added, pointing to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine’s account of “serious human rights consequences” from a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region last week.
Daily use of long-range weapons — including missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs — in attacks far from the frontline, alongside short-range drone strikes closer to it, points to “a further escalation in civilian harm”, according to the UN monitoring mission.
Report raises concerns about militarisation of children
A report produced under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism — a fact-finding process triggered by participating states to investigate serious human rights concerns — examined what it described as the militarisation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children in areas occupied by Russia, the EU said.
The report described cadet classes and military-patriotic youth organisations as extending pre-military preparation, and said further militarisation happens outside schools through state-sponsored re-education camps and similar organisations, including one that provides structured training in weapons and UAV operation for children aged 14 to 18.
UAV stands for unmanned aerial vehicle — commonly known as a drone.
The EU said the report indicated that conscription “completes this pipeline”, alleging that Ukrainian boys in occupied territories receive pre-conscription notices as early as 16 and are conscripted at 18, which it said violates the prohibition on forcing protected people to serve in the occupying power’s armed or auxiliary forces.
The EU said it was committed to continuing political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, including further help with air defence and missile interception.
The statement also urged all countries to cease assistance to Russia’s war effort — including via dual-use goods and components, which are items that can be used for civilian purposes or military applications — and condemned the deployment of North Korean forces as well as military support it said was being provided by Belarus, Iran and North Korea.
The EU also condemned repeated breaches of the airspace of EU member states and neighbouring countries, “most recently” Moldova, which it said were a consequence of Russia’s war, and expressed solidarity with affected states.
Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine aligned themselves with the statement.
