In the aftermath of the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Bucha, Mariupol and other places in Ukraine, the European Parliament adopted today, by a large majority, a resolution condemning those acts as war crimes and calling for additional, stronger sanctions against Russia and Belarus. All ECPM Members of European Parliament voted in favor.

The adopted text calls for “an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel, and on gas as swiftly as possible, for Nordstream 1 and 2 to be completely abandoned, and for a plan to continue ensuring the EU’s security of energy supply in the short-term to be presented;” emphasizing that diversification of energy sources as well as boosting investments in renewable technologies remains a priority.

The Parliament demanded to expand the exclusion of Russian banks from the SWIFT system, to ban all transport (by road or sea) to and from Russia and to seize any assets in Europe that are discovered to belong to Russian oligarchs, government or Putin and Lukashenka proxies. Any violations of the adopted sanctions by individuals, companies or governments would be more severely punished.

The document also called on all European leaders to “exclude Russia from the G20 and other multilateral cooperative organisations, such as the UN Human Rights Council, Interpol, the World Trade Organization, UNESCO and others”. Just a few hours later, the General Assembly of the UN Human Rights Council voted to suspend Russia’s membership.

The resolution supports the initiative by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into the recent atrocities which are thought to constitute war crimes and asked for the creation of a special UN tribunal for crimes in Ukraine.

Finally, the European Parliament asked for increased (financial and military) aid for Ukraine now, as well as the creation of a special fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. They stressed the importance of its agricultural sector and urged safe corridors for delivery of tools and resources needed, as well as safe passage for civilian evacuation and humanitarian work.

This resolution effectively ensures Russia’s isolation in the world as punishment for its aggressive actions and a strong commitment by the EU Member States to stand with Ukraine and support her fight to defend her independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.