Commemoration of the 4 years of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine

24 February 2026

Video message by Ms Petra Bayr

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

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Four years ago, this large-scale war of aggression began with a single decision.

Not an accident.
Neither a misunderstanding.
A decision taken in the Kremlin.
By Vladimir Putin.

Four years later, the consequences are written in blood and ruins.
In mass graves.
In shattered cities.
In millions of lives torn apart.

This war has names.
It has authors.
And it has responsibility.

For Ukrainians, this war is not geopolitics. It is daily terror. Air-raid sirens instead of school bells. Bomb shelters instead of bedrooms. Parents burying children. Children growing up knowing the sound of missiles better than the sound of nursery rhymes.

Let us speak plainly: Vladimir Putin’s regime has built its power on aggression abroad but also repression at home. Independent voices are silenced. Opposition is imprisoned or killed. History is falsified, propaganda weaponised.

This is not only a war against Ukraine. It is a war against everything the Council of Europe stands for.

Against democracy.
Against human rights.
Against the rule of law.

The committed atrocities are the foreseeable outcome of a criminal war launched by a leadership that shows only contempt for human dignity.

Torture.
Sexual violence.
Arbitrary detention.
The deportation of Ukrainian children.
The systematic destruction of civilian life.

These crimes are documented. They are undeniable. And they lead back to one central crime: the crime of aggression.

Accountability for all this is not optional. It is imperative.

Establishing a Special Tribunal for Aggression against Ukraine is essential to demonstrate that no leader is above responsibility for war and repression. A clear message must be sent to Vladimir Putin and all those who enable his regime: you will be held accountable.

Justice is not revenge. Justice is protection – for future victims, for international law, for peace itself.

Accountability also means reparations. The Register of Damage and the Compensation Fund recognize victims’ rights and ensure those who destroy must pay for what they have destroyed.

Yes. Aggression has a price.

Impunity must end.

Four years into this large-scale invasion, some speak of fatigue. But Ukrainians do not have the luxury of fatigue. And Europe cannot look away.

Supporting Ukraine is not just solidarity - it is a responsibility. If we allow borders to be re-drawn by force and atrocities to go unpunished, no country is safe.

A just peace demands truth, justice, and accountability, including at the highest levels. As we mourn the dead and support the survivors, the Council of Europe affirms:

Ukraine is not alone.
Justice will prevail.

Europe will not accept a future shaped by violence.
Because a Europe that tolerates Putin’s war betrays its values.
And a Europe that betrays its values betrays its future.
Let us stand united for justice, human rights and peace for a bright future.

Thank you.