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Comment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the Memorandum of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights following his visit to Ukraine

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

09 July 2025 14:26

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has taken note of the Memorandum of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty following his visit to Ukraine on March 17-21, 2025.

During the visit, Commissioner O'Flaherty held meetings with representatives of Ukrainian ministries, agencies, and civil society, based on the results of which he prepared and presented in the Memorandum observations and assessments of the human rights situation in Ukraine during the ongoingwar with Russia.

We share the Commissioner's conviction that the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2014 with the illegal occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, constitutes a "war of values" and poses an existential threat to democracy, human rights and international law which have been carefully constructed in Europe since the Second World War.

We agree that those responsible for gross human rights violations committed resulting from Russian aggression must face just punishment. In this regard, we once again underscore the importance of establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Such a body will complement the architecture of international criminal justice in holding accountable those who violate fundamental norms of international law and attempt to destroy entire states.

We support the Council of Europe Commissioner's call for integrating human rights into post-war reconstruction, with particular attention to the needs of women and children, vulnerable groups, and veterans.

The Ukrainian side will carefully examine study the Commissioner's for Human Rights assessments and emphasizes that the protection of human rights amid ongoing Russian aggression acquires particular significance. At the same time, the need to ensure the state's defense capabilities and the specific conditions of martial law must be fully taken into account.

We stress that it is Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, in gross violation of international law and the principles of the UN Charter, and in undermining European and global security and stability, that led to certain restrictions on rights and freedoms in Ukraine. Ukraine regularly informs the depositaries of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms - the UN Secretary General and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe - about their content and scope.

Ukraine's executive authorities, together with civil society, are working to update the National Strategy on Human Rights to reflect the new realities. We share Commissioner O'Flaherty view that Ukraine's membership in the European Union will help accelerate the achievement of long-term human rights objectives.