Four Years of War: Holding Russia Accountable and Supporting Ukraine

The European Parliament on 24 February 2026 adopted a resolution marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine. It condemns the war as a crime of aggression, calls for full accountability of Russia, its allies and proxy forces, and demands an immediate end to all attacks, the withdrawal of all Russian troops and equipment, and the release of prisoners, children and civilians.

Key points:

• Russia began the conflict on 24 Feb 2022, after annexing Crimea in 2014 and occupying Donbas.
• The war has caused massive civilian suffering: millions struggle with cold, limited electricity, water and heating; environmental damage has harmed Ukraine’s ecosystems and health.
• Russia’s allies – Iran, North Korea, Belarus, China, Cuba and many African states – supply weapons, ammunition and fighters; over 1 400 foreign soldiers from 36 African countries reportedly fight for Russia.
• The Wagner Group and its successors have committed torture, killings, sexual violence and war crimes; EU sanctions against them are deemed insufficient.
• Ukraine has lost at least 20 000, possibly up to 35 000 children, who have been deported or detained in occupied areas; up to 16 000 civilians are held in incommunicado detention.
• Some EU members still buy Russian fossil fuels, spending €1.3 billion on Russian fuels in December 2025 alone; the EU buys 49 % of Russia’s LNG and 35 % of its pipeline gas.

The resolution:

1. Pays tribute to those who died defending Ukraine and reaffirms EU solidarity with Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
2. Calls for Russia, Belarus and other supporters to be held fully accountable for war crimes and the crime of aggression.
3. Demands Russia cease all military action, withdraw forces, release prisoners and children, and stop attacks on civilian infrastructure.
4. Supports Ukraine’s EU integration, urging the EU to prepare for enlargement and accelerate Ukraine’s entry into the single market.
5. Urges the EU to increase military, political and diplomatic support, including a “reassurance force” and robust security guarantees comparable to NATO Article 5.
6. Welcomes the EU’s €90 billion loan package for Ukraine and calls for a reparations loan backed by frozen Russian assets.
7. Calls for stricter sanctions: a comprehensive ban on Russian and Belarusian imports, targeting raw materials, dual‑use goods, and the shadow fleet; sanctions on Iran, North Korea, China and other enablers; and a ban on Russian military personnel entering the Schengen area.
8. Supports the EU’s phase‑out of Russian gas and oil, including a regulation to end Russian natural gas imports and prepare to phase out oil, uranium and nuclear fuel.
9. Condemns the deportation and forced assimilation of Ukrainian children, calls for their immediate return, and supports international initiatives to track and bring them home.
10. Calls for the EU to support Ukraine’s defence industry, provide air‑defence and missile systems, lift restrictions on using Western weapons against Russian targets, and expand training under the EU Military Assistance Mission.
11. Urges the EU to list the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation to enable prosecution of recruiters and supporters.
12. Calls for the EU to support international justice mechanisms, including a special tribunal for Russia’s crime of aggression, and to protect the International Criminal Court from sanctions.
13. Highlights the need for EU member states to cooperate fully, resolve deadlocks on the Ukraine Assistance Fund, and ensure the EU’s long‑term security commitments to Ukraine are implemented.

The resolution is sent to the Council, the Commission, EU officials, Ukraine, the UN, the US Congress, Russian authorities and other relevant parties.