Debate: The EU’s response to the appalling attack against civilians in Dnipro : strengthening sanctions against the Putin regime and military support to Ukraine
Date: TUESDAY, 17 JANUARY 2023
Speaker: Didier Reynders
Language: EN

In recent months, we have seen an intensification of Russian air strikes against energy and water infrastructure, hitting also residential buildings. The latest horrifying example of such attacks is Dnipro city, where on 14 January the Russian military conducted an attack which hit a multi-storey residential building in an exclusively residential area where there were no Ukrainian military objects. This took 40 innocent civilian lives, among them also children. At least 25 people are still missing, so the death toll is likely to increase. This is one of many attacks that are potential war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine since the beginning of this senseless war. Russia must stop. It is why the European Commission is determined to continue supporting Ukraine. Today, we disbursed the first EUR 3 billion of the EUR 18 billion macro—financial support agreed last December. Let me recall that the aim of this emergency assistance is to provide short-term financial relief, financing Ukraine’s immediate needs, rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and initial support towards sustainable post-war reconstruction, with a view to supporting Ukraine on its path towards European integration. We will not rest until Russia withdraws its forces from Ukraine and until justice will be served. Russia’s barbaric actions only strengthen our resolve to ensure accountability and to support Ukraine and its people. We will work to hold all Russian decision makers accountable for their gross violations of international law and international humanitarian law in Ukraine. The European Council has invited the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Council to take work forward on accountability, in accordance with EU law and international law. The prosecution of the crime of aggression is of concern to the international community as a whole. The European Union actively supports Ukraine’s efforts on accountability through our assistance through the International Criminal Court and its investigations, assistance to the office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, as well as assistance to national investigations by EU Member States through Eurojust coordination. More concretely, the European Union is funding further development of the War Crimes Platform established by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office. The platform allows the general public to upload digital evidence of alleged core international crimes. Experts from the EU advisory mission in Ukraine are providing strategic advice, operational assistance and training in areas such as crime scene and forensic investigations, drafting of legislation and indictments, collection and preservation of evidence. Finally, Eurojust supports a Joint Investigation Team between several EU Member States in Ukraine. The JIT is one of the most advanced tools to facilitate international coordination on national investigations of core international crimes committed in Ukraine. In June 2022, Eurojust’s mandate was strengthened upon a proposal from the Commission to enable the agency to preserve, store and analyse evidence relating to international crimes. Eurojust has therefore been working on the implementation of this new database, which allows data to be stored safely and to be analysed in an advanced manner. These efforts need to be sustained. Ensuring accountability in Ukraine will be a lengthy process. I want to commend the resolve of Ukrainian people. We continue to support Ukraine as long as it takes. I am sure that you have taken the same commitment and of course we will listen carefully to your proposals and suggestions. But again, we will continue to support Ukraine with military support, financial support and humanitarian support, but also going forward to be sure it is possible to bring to justice those responsible for a lot of war crimes and crimes against humanity and a crime of aggression.