For a common European Response to the invasion of Ukraine and the future of Ukraine

13 November 2022

Submitted by Political Commission 3: External Affairs & Global Governance.
Adopted by the Federal Committee in Turku on 21 October 2018. Re-adopted and amended by the Federal Committee in Prague on 13 November 2022.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shattered the peace that the founding fathers and mothers of the EU worked so hard to build since World War II and the Yugoslav Wars. The stakes in this unprovoked war of aggression go beyond the territory of Ukraine: should Russia win, it would undermine the international rules-based order and strike a severe blow to democracies everywhere. Moreover, the democratic transformation process in Ukraine that began with the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, requires a stronger, better-structured and continued longer-term support by the EU. JEF Europe demands active involvement and assistance by the EU and its Member States to support Ukraine in its striving for a European future.

JEF Europe,

  • Strongly condemning by the ongoing Russian invasion of the territory of Ukraine that already led to thousands of fatalities and injuries, and a humanitarian crisis with millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Ukrainian refugees across Europe;
  • Further condemning the illegal violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the illegal annexation of Crimea and the breach of international law by the Russian Federation;
  • Believing that the defeat of Ukraine and its subjugation to Russia would seriously undermine the rules-based international order and increase the likelihood of violent conflicts and human rights violations everywhere in the world;
  • Congratulating the Ukrainian authorities and people their brave defence of our common values;
  • Respecting the demands expressed by the Euromaidan and Ukrainian civil society and people for a European future for Ukraine;
  • Appreciating the ongoing reform process of Ukraine on all levels of Ukrainian society and praising the Ukrainian government, local authorities, civil society organisations and people for their work towards EU membership, both before and since the eruption of the war;
  • Noting that the Ukrainian transformation process, despite its hurdles, is a good example of the attractiveness of the EU model for Eastern Partnership countries;
  • Deeply concerned however, by the fragility of Ukrainian reform efforts prior to the war, mainly because of vested interests and deep-rooted corruption throughout the country;
  • Welcoming the decision of the EU on the 25 June 2022 to grant Ukraine the official candidate status as a first step to be a member of the European Union;
  • Supporting the assistance the EU and other European countries have provided to Ukraine so far, following the demonstrations of support by the population across Europe;
  • Noting with concern the disinformation campaigns conducted by Russian actors impeding the spread of reliable information;

JEF Europe therefore,

  1. Demands all Russian forces to withdraw immediately from the territory of Ukraine and this being a prerequisite for negotiations to start with the support of the EU and international organisation such as the United Nations;
  2. Demands the continuation of EU sanctions and individual sanctions against the Russian Federation, individuals and firms complicit with the Ukraine aggression;
  3. Urges the EU and Member States to provide all the necessary military, diplomatic, humanitarian and economic help needed by Ukraine to defend itself and restore its territorial integrity, for as long as necessary;
  4. Condemns the sham referenda conducted in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia as meaningless and contrary to international law;
  5. Strongly condemns the attempts by Russia to coerce Ukrainian nationals on the occupied territories to fight against their own compatriots;
  6. Calls on the EU to further explore possibilities of integrating Ukraine in EU programmes and frameworks, as is currently done with regard to the Erasmus+ programme, and to offer further support in education and training through exchange and twinning programmes to make specifically young Ukrainians agents for change;
  7. Urges the EU to help Ukraine in its efforts to become a member of the EU as soon as possible, by clarifying requirements and offering the support of experts and other personnel for implementing needed reforms and policies;
  8. Urges the EU to financially and materially help Ukraine in its reconstruction and modernisation efforts and to enlist the help of other willing nations around the world to help Ukraine towards this task, which could be partially financed by the proceeds of sanctions;
  9. Calls on the EU to strengthen Humanitarian Assistance to Ukraine, IDPs and Ukrainian refugees in surrounding states, and reiterates the particular burden on thus put on all of them;
  10. Calls on the EU and its Member States to increase support for civil society in Ukraine, for instance by empowering the Ukrainian Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, and to take into account civil society recommendations;
  11. Encourages the EU and its Member States to improve the connectivity between the European Union and Ukraine, thus supporting the growth and integration between the EU and Ukraine, as well as the pace of the reconstruction process;
  12. Commits itself to working towards a European future for Ukraine in close cooperation with Ukrainian civil society and pro-European movements, particularly youth.