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The joint plenum of Parliament on Tuesday adopted a Statement of Support for Ukraine in the context of the completion, on February 24, 2023, of one year since the start of the war of aggression by the Russian Federation.
The Romanian MPs cast 285 votes "in favour" and 5 "against" the Statement of Support.
The Statement reads that the Russian Federation unilaterally and unprovokedly launched the war of aggression against Ukraine, escalating the previous violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country, through the illegal annexation, in 2014, of Crimea.
"The Russian Federation is waging a massive military invasion of the Ukrainian state, accompanied by crimes against the Ukrainian civilian population, systematic attacks on energy infrastructure, disinformation and propaganda on an unprecedented scale, and false rhetoric that attempts to hide the truth about the war of conquest it carries out in Ukraine, in violation of the UN Charter, international law and the principles that govern relations between states. The humanitarian tragedy of the Ukrainian civilian population is worsening, the suffering, unprecedented in the history of Europe, since the Second World War, of millions of people, being deliberately provoked by the Russian aggressor as part of a premeditated, cynical and brutal strategy to crush the entire Ukrainian nation," the Statement reads.
The document highlights that "we are witnessing the perpetuation of the aggressive and irresponsible rhetoric of the Russian Federation regarding the continuation of the war against Ukraine and the potential use of the nuclear arsenal, with threats to other sovereign states, including NATO members."
"Millions of people live every day with the fear that they will become the next victims of Russia's aggression, many of them being forced to leave their homes in a desperate attempt to survive the war. The war that started a year ago is causing serious damages to the international legal order, freedom of navigation, the economy and international trade, directly or indirectly affecting a huge number of people around the globe and having severe implications including on food security and food reserves in various regions of the world," the same document states.
Parliament reaffirms Romania's firm support for the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian state and people, expresses its respect for the courage, dignity and resistance shown by both the Ukrainian army and the civilian population and reconfirms Romania's "unwavering support" for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders.
The Statement firmly condemns the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against a sovereign state, whose territory is inalienable and indivisible.
"We ask the Russian Federation to put an end to the war without delay and to urgently withdraw all its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine, according to this country's internationally recognized borders. We underscore, once again, that all attempts to change the borders of Ukraine by force, through the decisions to illegally annex some regions of Ukraine, starting in 2014, violate the UN Charter, the international law, as well as the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We ask the Russian Federation to collaborate unconditionally with the international organizations and with the International Criminal Court, which is set to investigate into the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed against Ukraine, and we support the international efforts (...) to establish a jurisdictional mechanism for holding accountable those guilty of committing the crime of aggression," says the Statement of Support.
Parliament asks the Russian Federation, by the means of this document, "to immediately stop the rhetoric regarding the use of nuclear weapons and the actions of intimidation against other states, as well as the baseless accusations regarding the alleged use of biological weapons by Ukraine."
"We reaffirm the right of every state, including Ukraine, to decide, in a sovereign manner, on its future, based on the freely expressed popular will. We resolutely reject the undisguised approach promoted by the Russian Federation regarding the establishment of so-called 'spheres of influence,' which is in deep contradiction with the legal order at the international level. We express concern about the profoundly undemocratic character of the political developments in recent years in the Russian Federation, marked by the absence of a real free and democratic debate, by the consolidation of control over the entire public space and of the accentuated drift towards arbitrariness and unilateralism, including in international relations," Parliament's statement also states.
Another aspect of the Statement concerns the solidarity of Romania and all the states targeted by the aggressive rhetoric of the Russian Federation, especially the Republic of Moldova, which is why the Russian Federation is requested "to stop the disinformation campaigns aimed at hiding the truth related to the war of aggression, illegal and legitimate, which it carries out against Ukraine and, implicitly, against the international legal order."
"We affirm our solidarity towards the policy of Romania's allies and partners regarding the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine. We ask the European and Euro-Atlantic community to tighten the sanctions against the Russian Federation at a sustained pace and ensure their maintenance as long as the occupying forces remain on the territory of Ukraine, according to its internationally recognized borders. Sanctions must also target those directly responsible for the atrocities committed in Ukraine: President Vladimir Putin and his entire regime," the Statement points out.
Parliament also supports "the need for Romania's substantial involvement in the future post-conflict reconstruction efforts of the Ukrainian state, as well as the intensification of the support given by the Romanian state, especially, to the Ukrainian civilian population".
"We emphasize the need to concentrate the efforts of the Romanian state, equally, and support the process of accession to the European Union of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Georgia, considering both the option expressed by the majority of the population of these three states, as well as their official status as candidate states, acquired by the first two, in June 2022, as well as the European perspective confirmed for the third. We express the expectation that the Ukrainian authorities will treat with attention and speed the important aspects raised by the Romanian state in bilateral relations, such as the situation of ethnic Romanians from Ukraine, respectively the need to protect the unique heritage and biodiversity of the Danube Delta, in accordance with European and international commitments and standards in the matter," Parliament's Statement concludes. AGERPRES
