Council of Europe summit calls on Russia to withdraw army from Ukraine

On May 16-17, the Council of Europe (CoE) Summit took place in Reykjavik, and its participants adopted the final declaration "Reykjavik Declaration - United around our values", a document published on the Council's website.

In this document, 46 members of the Council of Europe condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine and Georgia and called on the aggressor country, Russia, to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia "immediately, completely, and unconditionally." The participants of the summit, which was attended by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, declared their support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of these three countries.

"We express our full support for Ukraine and its people. We will stand with Ukraine as long as it takes. Without responsibility, there can be no lasting peace, and we support the principles of a just and lasting peace set out in President [of Ukraine Volodymyr] Zelenskyy's peace formula," the document emphasizes.

The declaration says that the countries participating in the summit reaffirm the need for an unequivocal international legal response to aggression for all victims, including Ukraine.

"We emphasize the universal principle that genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, including sexual violence in conflict, including rape, are not subject to statutes of limitations. Only by respecting the right to truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence can the past be overcome and a solid foundation be created for building unity in a spirit of harmony and cooperation, respecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law," the authors of the declaration continued.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 18/05/2023