Submitted by Political Commission 3
Adopted by the Federal Committee in Sofia on 30 March 2025.

JEF Europe,

• Recalling the JEF Europe resolutions “For a common European Response to the invasion of Ukraine and the future of Ukraine”, “Future of the Eastern Partnership: a new European strategy for the East”, “Establishing a European Security and Defence Union” and “Combatting disinformation in the modern media landscape”;
• Recognising Russia as an actively colonialist and imperialist state which not only pursues a revisionist foreign policy but also pursues an aggressive policy of russification across its internationally recognised territory and the states which it influences. A policy which eradicates local cultures and systemically purges all forms of diversity within the Russian Federation;
• Strongly condemning the illegal violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the illegal annexation of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia as well as the repeated breaches of international law by the Russian Federation, with the 24 February 2022 invasion of Ukraine as the culmination of Russia’s imperialist agenda;
• Recalling the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine’s findings that clearly document “patterns of summary executions, unlawful confinement, torture, ill-treatment, rape and other sexual violence committed in areas occupied by Russian armed forces across the four regions on which it focused” and that these amount to war crimes, violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law;
• Welcomes the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe declaring the Russian government as a “terrorist” regime;
• Deeply concerned about the social and human consequences of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and disputes in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries, and rejecting all forms of illegitimate violence perpetrated as an expression of foreign policy;
• Denouncing the Russian measures aimed at destabilising the Eastern Partnership countries through trade embargoes or the conclusion of integration treaties in separatist or breakaway regions and regions under illegal occupation, such as South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transnistria and Crimea, under the false pretext of there being oppressed ethnic and linguistic groups and the misguided notion of the Russian Federation being their supposed protector, while at the same time reminding the indispensability of protecting minorities;
• Strongly rejecting all actions by the Russian Federation in support of the authoritarian rule in Belarus and Georgia, and its support for the Belarusian and Georgian goverments’ crackdown on their own people, the oppression of calls for democracy, and prosecution and persecution of journalists, opposition leaders and activists;
• Notes with concern the military actions surrounding the Ukrainian nuclear power plants endangering not only the Ukrainian people but all citizens of the world;
• Notes with utmost concern the unreasonable provocations by the Russian Federation regarding the possible use of weapons, including nuclear rockets in the aggression against Ukraine and surrounding countries;
• Denouncing the cyber warfare against government ministries, political parties, NGOs, electoral processes, newspapers, banks, and companies, and critical infrastructure in and beyond Europe, at times resulting in material damage and destabilisation;
• Denouncing the continuous sabotage campaign conducted by Russia and its operatives on European infrastructure, such as signal jamming, damaging cables and power lines, endangering civilian maritime and air traffic and detonating bridges;
• Alarmed by continuous Russian interference aimed at destabilising European democracies through various hybrid operations such as disinformation campaigns, strategic corruption, and fostering extremist political movements, particularly supporting far-right groups seeking to destabilise European unity and revitalise relations to Russia;
• Recalling that the EU member states that have had a long history of oppression at the hands of Russia have warned western Member States again and again over the course of the last decade about the risks of entering into a state of energy dependency towards Russia and that Russia was and remains a security threat, and that these calls were recklessly ignored;
• Noting that Europe’s security dependence on external actors, notably the United States, limits EU autonomy in responding to Russian aggression, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive European Defence and Energy Unions;
• Recognising that Russia’s aggression is not just a war against Ukraine but a broader challenge to European sovereignty, democracy, and security, as demonstrated by its expansionist actions in Moldova, Georgia, and the Balkans;
• Condemns the arrests of protestors, the closure of political offices, raids on the homes of civil society activists, and the labelling of NGOs and their staff and members as foreign agents;
• Deeply concerned by recent legislative and judicial measures in Russia severely punishing conscientious objection, desertion, and voluntary surrender, effectively compelling Russian citizens to participate in illegal aggression against Ukraine or face harsh criminal penalties;
• Recognising that Russian conscientious objectors, deserters, and prisoners of war (POWs) currently face severe persecution and lack clear pathways for international protection or humanitarian aid due to fragmented EU asylum policies;
• Concerned by nearly total restrictions on media and internet freedom, the tightening of online media control, increased disinformation campaigns and information wars, used to advance the Russian political agenda, propaganda and indoctrination practices, up to the point of strengthening the wish for a Russian victory among considerable parts of the electorate in some EU Member States;
• Deploring the suppression of fundamental rights in the Russian Federation and furthermore condemning the persecution of activists and opposition parties and their members;
• Welcomes the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Europe which, in accordance with Article 8 of the Statute, ratifies the Russian Federation ceasing to be a member of the Council of Europe;
• Regretting that the unanimity in sanctions leads to the EU granting multiple exceptions to some countries, in particular to Hungary, which might in the end undermine the sanction regime altogether;
• Condemning the use of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as a tool serving largely Russian interests and dominance over neighbouring countries;
• Observing with deep concern the current foreign policy of the United States of America thawing its relations with Russia with unclear objectives, with instances of even siding with the current Russian regime; by amongst other things halting arms shipments, withholding intelligence reports and excerpting coercive diplomatic pressure onto Ukraine;
• Believing that lasting peace in Europe ultimately depends on Russia becoming a democratic state, committed to international law, respect for human rights, and the territorial integrity of its neighbours, but recognising that the current regime poses a severe threat to European security and democratic values;
• Noting the geographic and cultural European heritage of Russia, affirming that a stable and democratic Russia that respects international law, human rights, and sovereign borders would be essential for lasting peace in Europe, and leaving the door open for a democratic Russian regime and the Russian people to reverse course and embark on a European path;

JEF Europe, therefore,

1. Demands the Russian Federation to fully comply with its international obligations as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of the United Nations, by which it has committed itself to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, the safeguard of the sovereignty of other nations and the protection of the territorial integrity of states, such as Ukraine;

2. Demands all Russian forces to withdraw immediately from the territory of Ukraine, while declaring that the Russian Federation’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine is not merely an attack on a sovereign nation but a genocidal campaign aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity, culture, and political autonomy, as deemed e.g. by the Council of Europe;

3. Urges the immediate release of political prisoners, forcibly transferred civilians, including illegally deported Ukrainian children, and open an independent investigations into the death of Alexei Navalny;

4. Calls on the EU and its Member States to pursue a unified policy to strategically isolate, contain, and weaken the capacity of the current Russian regime to act as a rogue state waging aggression and undermining democracy abroad, while actively supporting Russian civil society and democratic forces working towards positive political change, such as democratic reforms, rule of law and the protection of human rights;

5. Calls upon all nations and international organisations to re-evaluate their ties with Russia and take all steps to ensure they are not complicit in prolonging Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine;

6. Calls for the indefinite continuation of comprehensive sanctions on the Russian Federation, aiming for including a complete embargo on Russian oil and gas imports, and the seizure of Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction and reparations, until a full and verifiable Russian withdrawal and accountability for war crimes have been achieved, even if territorial concessions would be “tolerated” during a possible ceasefire and armistice;

7. Calls on the Member States to regard the preservation of unity as an absolute priority and to abstain from bilateral relations and agreements which could undermine the common line;

8. Calls on the EU to formulate a common strategy to ensure Member States’ cohesion regarding Russia and promote its interest in the Eastern Neighbourhood in line with European principles and values;

9. Reiterates its call for a European Defence Union as the only way forward to ensure Europe’s safety against Russian expansionism and aggression;

10. Firmly supports the swift creation of a true European Energy Union, specifically the increased interconnection of national energy networks in order to reduce considerably the dependence of individual Member States on Russia, a country that has repeatedly shown its willingness to abuse its energy reserves as political weapons;

11. Calls for the strengthening of analytical and monitoring capabilities of Russian disinformation campaigns, such as the already existing East StratCom Task Force, and calls on the Commission to set aside adequate funding for concrete projects aimed at countering Russian disinformation within the EU and in the Eastern Partnership countries by promoting and strengthening media pluralism, media literacy and availability of factual information;

12. Calls on the EU to provide support to projects aimed at promoting and developing high journalistic standards, freedom of the media, and unbiased and trustworthy information, including in Russian language in Eastern Partnership countries and exiled free Russian media in order to provide Russian-speaking audiences with credible and independent sources of information;

13. Requests that the EU significantly increase funding and resources to counter Russian disinformation, extremist propaganda, and electoral interference, specifically targeting far-right movements and networks in Europe identified as influenced or supported by Russia;

14. Asks European countries to ban the extradition of Russian citizens to Russia, considering the lack of fundamental values ensuring fair trials;

15. Calls upon the European Commission and Member States to establish a unified EU humanitarian visa and protection framework specifically for Russian conscientious objectors, deserters, and prisoners of war, ensuring access to asylum and facilitating their safe passage into the EU;

16. Urges the EU to advocate strongly for the establishment of an international mechanism, under UN and International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement oversight, dedicated to facilitating the immediate release and repatriation of prisoners of war and forcibly transferred civilians, including illegally deported Ukrainian children;

17. Condemns the forced mobilisation carried out by Russia and the disproportionate punishments faced by persons trying to escape forced mobilisation;

18. Strongly condemns the attempts by Russia to coerce Ukrainian nationals on the occupied territories to fight against their own compatriots;

19. Strongly condemns the militarisation of education that has occurred and continues occurring all over Russia;

20. Urges the EU to significantly increase support, including financial, diplomatic, and security assistance, to Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, and Western Balkan countries, notably Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as EU Member States Bulgaria and Romania, to resist and counteract Russian destabilisation efforts effectively;

21. Calls on Member States to offer substantial political, legal, and financial support to Russian anti-war activists, journalists, independent media, and democratic opposition figures, including providing humanitarian visas and refuge, actively preparing pathways for democratic transition and future EU-Russia cooperation; with the aim to defend the Russian civic space and promote democratic values, fundamental freedoms and human rights in Russia and the territories illegally occupied by Russia;

22. Reiterates the EU’s support for international war crime prosecutions against Russian officials responsible for genocide, forced deportations of over 300,000 Ukrainian children, and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, and underlines to assist in setting up an international tribunal and support the International Criminal Court (ICC) to judge the crime of aggression of Russia;

23. Commits itself to continue to connect with democratic youth movements in Russia, and to welcome and encourage the efforts of Russian youth who align with the values of JEF Europe.