PACE adopted a resolution in support of Zelenskyiʼs peace plan

Author:
Anna Kholodnova
Date:

On June 22, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution in support of the peace plan of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Peopleʼs Deputy from "Servant of the People" Maria Mezentseva reported.

The resolution is entitled "Political consequences of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine." Mezentseva made public some of her points, namely:

  • Continuation and strengthening of additional civil and military aid, including through re-export of own goods.
  • The creation of strategic European economic autonomy from Russian oil and gas as the main tool for blackmailing Europe.
  • Measures to prevent the resale of Russian minerals to Europe through third countries.
  • Expansion of the list of individuals and legal entities subject to sanctions in the Russian Federation, Belarus, and third countries.
  • Introduction of main categories for special supervision to avoid circumvention of sanctions.
  • The process of creating a harmonized mechanism for monitoring compliance with sanctions and tracking their evasion, including through the resale of goods with the help of third countries.
  • Creation of a public register of companies and people who work in favor of Russian interests, including helping to evade sanctions.
  • Recognition of the "Wagner PMC" and other paramilitary formations participating in the invasion of the Russian Federation ("Kadyrovʼs Detachment" and others) as terrorist groups.
  • Recognition of the regime of the Russian Federation as following the dangerous ideology of ruscism. Ruscism consists of hundreds of examples of war crimes and directly promotes the crime of genocide.
  • The initiation of the field of science of Russian colonial policy with the aim of studying the past practices of the Russian Federation.
  • Acknowledgment of Russiaʼs guilt in the war crime of ecocide, which occurred due to the detonation of the Kakhovka HPP in order to stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
  • Creating strategic economic autonomy from Russian gas and oil, which is used by Russia to expand imperialist geopolitical goals.

According to Mezentseva, the PACE separately recognizes Russiaʼs intention to blow up the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

What is the "Ukrainian peace formula" from President Zelenskyi:

On November 15, 2022, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi presented the "Ukrainian formula for peace" in a speech before the participants of the G20 summit in Bali. Here is what it provides:

  • Radiation and nuclear safety with an emphasis on restoring safety around Europeʼs largest Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.
  • Food security, including the protection and provision of Ukraineʼs grain exports to the worldʼs poorest countries.
  • Energy security with an emphasis on price restrictions on Russian energy resources, as well as assistance to Ukraine in restoring its energy infrastructure.
  • Release of all prisoners of war and deportees, including prisoners of war and children deported to Russia.
  • The restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the confirmation of its borders by Russia in accordance with the UN Charter, which, according to Zelenskyi, "is not subject to discussion."
  • Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, restoration of Ukraineʼs state border with Russia.
  • Justice and fairness, including the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes.
  • Prevention of ecocide. This is the need to protect the environment with an emphasis on demining and restoration of water treatment facilities.
  • Preventing the escalation of the conflict and building a security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic area, including security guarantees for Ukraine.
  • Confirmation of the end of the war, including a document signed by all parties involved.

On January 19, the European Parliament adopted a recommendatory resolution on the creation of a special tribunal, and on January 26, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) unanimously voted for the creation of a Special International Tribunal to consider Russiaʼs crimes against Ukraine.

Ukraine insists on the International Special Tribunal, which would include foreign judges, and the UN would participate in its creation.

Ukraine, the European Union, the International Criminal Court, and the government of the Netherlands started the work of a dialogue group, which should provide support for investigations of international crimes in Ukraine, and the United States began cooperation with the joint investigative team (JIT) to investigate serious international crimes of Russia in Ukraine.