7. The Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine has caused significant global consequences – first of all– food insecurity, extra high energy prices, poverty and hunger. The resources that we cannot invest toachieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hinder global development. More than a half out of 17goals are negatively impacted by the Russian Federation’s war. Because of the Russian Federation we willsee regress in achieving the SDGs, including concerning climate.

8. The reach of the hybrid war of the Russian Federation is global and is felt in all corners of Europe. TheRepublic of Moldova, Georgia, and the Western Balkans are subject to pronounced Russian-backed hybridwarfare methods that are designed to destabilise their democracies. The Assembly is alarmed by theextensive and unscrupulous use of disinformation, energy blackmail, nuclear blackmail, economic levers, anddisinformation by the Russian Federation to exacerbate existing tensions and fractures in democraticsocieties.

9. In addition, the aggression and the resulting new geopolitical context magnify security risks because oftheir impact on the functioning of multilateral mechanisms aimed at preventing and resolving conflicts,including those established under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe(OSCE).

10. At the same time, hard security is a grave concern. The Russian leadership has brandished recklessthreats of nuclear warfare and has increased the risk of nuclear accidents involving the Zaporizhzhia nuclearpower plant, which is illegally under Russian control. The Russian Federation uses the occupation of theZaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for blackmail purposes in contravention of the Convention on Nuclear Safetyand the safeguards regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of which the RussianFederation is a member. The Assembly welcomes the visit of a delegation of the IAEA to the site on 15 June2023 and calls for its recommendations to be fully executed. The Assembly expresses its gravest concern thatthe Russian Federation may be planning to carry out a deliberate attack on or cause a deliberate accident atthe Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as mentioned by President Zelenskyy on 22 June 2023. This wouldrisk provoking an escalation in the war, and lead to a radiation leak with devastating consequences forEurope.

11. The Assembly is deeply concerned by the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus,which started in May 2023, and by reports that the deployment of strategic weapons may be underconsideration. As Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), both the RussianFederation and Belarus are in violation of their non-transfer and non-possession obligations, under Articles 1and 2 of that treaty, respectively. Similarly, the Assembly deeply regrets the withdrawal of the RussianFederation from the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, a cornerstone of European securityand stability and of conventional arms control architecture.

12. Europe can only be durably at peace if the Russian Federation becomes a democracy and loses itsmilitary potential to attack its neighbours. Thus, engagement and co-operation should be strengthened withRussian forces and civil society who aspire to a democratic change in the Russian Federation, who share thevalues of the Council of Europe, and who support the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity ofUkraine as well as with those advocating for the principle that the Russian Federation, as a State, provide fullcompensation to Ukraine once the war is over, and endorsing the idea that the Russian regime should face aninternational tribunal for its actions. Similarly, the Belarusian democratic forces and their leader, SviatlanaTsikhanouskaya, as well as other forces ready to rise up against Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus deserve thefull support of the Council of Europe and its member States.

13. Since the last time the Assembly debated the war of aggression, a number of peace initiatives havebeen launched. In this regard, the Assembly reiterates its position laid down in its Resolution 2463 (2022)“Further escalation in the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine” that any peace talks can onlytake place on the conditions set by Ukraine. It highlights, in this regard, that the Reykjavik Declarationexpresses full support for the principles for a just and lasting peace as outlined in President Zelenskyy’sPeace Formula.

14. As the Reykjavik Declaration points out, there cannot be peace without accountability. The Assemblytherefore welcomes the establishment of the Registry of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the RussianFederation Against Ukraine. It shall continue to pursue its efforts in view of the establishment of aninternational compensation mechanism and a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression to prosecute thepolitical and military leadership of the Russian Federation, as requested by the Assembly in several texts andmost recently in Resolution 2482 (2023) “Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation’saggression against Ukraine”. The Assembly welcomes the launch of the International Centre for theProsecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA).

Resolution 2506 (2023)

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