The European Union strongly condemned Russia's recent escalation in its war against Ukraine, including large-scale missile and drone attacks on civilians, strikes against the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and systematic targeting of civilian and energy infrastructure. In a statement delivered at the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on 24 June 2026, the EU also denounced Russia's increasingly aggressive behaviour towards EU Member States, including foreign information manipulation and interference, threats against European diplomatic presence in Ukraine, and repeated violations of EU territory. The statement cited a United Nations report showing 274 civilians killed and 1,763 injured in May 2026, making it the deadliest month since April 2022, with long-range weapons as the primary cause of casualties in urban centres like Kyiv and Dnipro.
The EU reaffirmed its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and called on Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all forces from Ukrainian territory. It urged all countries to cease any assistance to Russia's war effort, particularly through dual-use goods, and specifically condemned military support provided by Belarus, Iran, and the DPRK, as well as the deployment of DPRK military forces in Ukraine. The statement also expressed support for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on UN Charter principles, with robust security guarantees for Ukraine, and stressed that the path to peace cannot be decided without Ukraine. The EU called on Russia to show genuine willingness for peace, agree to a full ceasefire, and engage in meaningful negotiations, while reaffirming commitment to accountability for war crimes. Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Ukraine aligned themselves with the statement.