Remembering Bucha: Real peace must be based on justice

Russia must be held accountable for war crimes committed during its war of aggression in Ukraine, said EP Vice-President Hojsík in Kyiv at the event commemorating victims of Bucha tragedy.

Martin Hojsík represented European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Monday at the 2025 Bucha Summit, a conference of Speakers and Heads of Delegation of national parliaments of European countries held to commemorate the third anniversary of the liberation of Bucha from Russia .

“Peace without justice is not a real peace. Victims of the Russian massacre in Bucha are a reminder of this. This is why the European Parliament has been calling since the beginning of the Russian aggression for a fair investigation and punishment of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Parliament’s Vice-President Martin Hojsík stressed.

“Our support for Ukraine remains unwavering. We must keep standing with Ukraine and step up our efforts for a just and lasting peace. The future of Ukraine is in the European Union,” he said.

2025 Bucha summit

The European Parliament was represented at the event together with speakers and heads of delegation of the national parliaments of Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, convened in Kyiv on Monday 31 March to commemorate the victims of the Bucha massacre.

In their joint statement, the parliament leaders condemned “in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine”, reaffirmed their “full respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders”, and called for “the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine”.

They called for a “significant increase in aid for Ukraine” and “the strongest possible sanctions and measures against Russia that could support steps towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace”. Finally, they reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s European integration and sovereign right to determine its future free from external pressure or interference.

Background

In a 12 March resolution the European Parliament reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine’s desire for a just and lasting peace, and also called on the EU and its member states to significantly increase their assistance to Ukraine.

On Tuesday 1 April morning, MEPs and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas will discuss the need to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes in Ukraine. You can follow the debate live here

https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstreaming?view=day&d=2025-04-01

(1.4.2025).