The European Union and Ukraine issued a joint statement on 13 July 2026, strongly condemning Russia's ongoing war of aggression and its violations of international humanitarian law, particularly regarding civilian detainees. The statement, released after discussions on the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, calls for the immediate, safe and unconditional return of all arbitrarily detained, unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian civilians, including children. It also demands that Russia confirm the identity, location and fate of Ukrainians held in captivity or reported missing, and that the International Committee of the Red Cross be granted full access to all places where prisoners of war and civilian detainees are held.
The statement highlights that since 2014, Russia has continued to suppress dissent and persecute those perceived as a threat to occupation administrations, with widespread documentation of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence, unlawful deportation, and denial of fair trial rights. 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 temporarily occupied territories to cover up these systematic violations.
The EU and Ukraine reaffirm their commitment to justice and full accountability for international crimes, encouraging further efforts within the Council of Europe towards operationalising the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the International Claims Commission for Ukraine. The statement also calls on all states to intensify coordinated pressure on Russia to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law without further delay.