Lasting peace in Ukraine not possible without accountability: Council of Europe

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) – European leaders on Wednesday agreed that achieving lasting peace in Ukraine would not be possible without accountability.

Addressing a press conference, Iceland's Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir announced the decisions taken during the fourth edition of the two-day Council of Europe Summit held in the capital Reykjavik.

Expressing full support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian peace formula, Jakobsdottir said: “We agreed that without accountability, there can be no lasting peace, and to reaffirm the need for a legal response for all victims.”

For Ukraine, European countries established a register of damage caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Jakobsdottir added.

She also said that they demand all civilians forcibly transferred or unlawfully deported to the territory of Russia be released immediately by the Russian government.

The Council of Europe's register of damage for Ukraine, joined or intended to be joined by 43 countries and the EU, is the first step towards an international compensation mechanism for the victims of the Russian war.

“Support and solidarity with Ukraine is one of the main priorities of the Icelandic Presidency and we have worked hard to ensure that the outcome of the Reykjavik Summit addresses the need for comprehensive accountability for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine," Jakobsdottir said.

- Other decisions

Regarding democracy, Jakobsdottir said the leaders adopted Reykjavik Principles for Democracy – a range of principles to be respected by democratic states, such as freedom of expression, assembly and association, independent institutions, impartial and effective judiciaries, the fight against corruption and democratic participation of civil society and of young people.

They also decided to work on the human rights aspects of the environmental crisis based on the political recognition of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, according to the prime minister.

They also emphasized how crucial it is to follow the convention system when enforcing decisions made by the European Court of Human Rights, she said, and added that the leaders rejected high-level attacks on the legal protections provided by the convention and court rulings.