The European Union and Ukraine have jointly called on Russia to ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return of all arbitrarily detained, unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian civilians, including children. In a joint statement issued on 14 July 2026 by the High Representative on behalf of the EU and by Ukraine, the two sides strongly condemned Russia's ongoing war of aggression and its violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, particularly in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The statement was discussed in Brussels on the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council.
The joint statement details systematic abuses documented since Russia's war of aggression began in 2014, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence, unlawful deportation to Russia, and forcible transfers within occupied territories. Civilians such as local officials, journalists, activists, and religious figures remain subject to politically motivated prosecutions and inhumane detention conditions. Russia prevents independent observers and the press from accessing occupied areas to cover up these violations.
The EU and Ukraine urged all states to intensify coordinated pressure on Russia to confirm the identity, location, and fate of Ukrainians held in captivity or reported missing. They demanded that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) be granted access to all places where Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees are held, in line with the Geneva Conventions. The statement also reiterated calls to cease brutal executions and torture of prisoners of war and civilian detainees.
On accountability, the EU and Ukraine reaffirmed their commitment to justice for international crimes committed during the war. They encouraged further efforts within the Council of Europe to operationalise the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the International Claims Commission for Ukraine.
The joint statement carries significant diplomatic weight as a unified EU-Ukraine position, but it remains a declaration without new concrete measures or enforcement mechanisms. Its impact on stakeholders is limited: for Ukrainian civilians and detainees, it reinforces international attention but offers no immediate relief; for Russia, it adds to diplomatic pressure but carries no direct consequences; for the ICRC, it strengthens the call for access but does not guarantee it; for EU member states, it signals continued political support for Ukraine without new commitments.