Jean Asselborn Welcomes European Solidarity with Ukrainian Refugees

On Friday 4 March 2022, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, travelled to Brussels to take part in the extraordinary meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers as well as the Extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council of the Council of the European Union (EU).

Both meetings provided an opportunity for Minister Asselborn and his counterparts to have an in-depth exchange of views on the latest developments in Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. These meetings highlighted the unity of EU countries and the Allies in the face of the war initiated by Russia, and allowed the foreign ministers to express their solidarity with Ukraine.

The NATO ministerial meeting took place in the presence of the foreign ministers of Finland and Sweden. During the discussions, Jean Asselborn renewed his condemnation of Russia's "brutal and unjustified" attack, with Belarus as an accomplice, against Ukraine, calling the Russian military invasion a flagrant violation of international law. "Luxembourg expresses its full support and renews its attachment to the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine", he said, recalling that each country is free to determine its foreign policy.

With regard to the significant migratory flows from Ukraine, Minister Asselborn welcomed the burst of solidarity observed in Europe and the triggering of the temporary protection directive facilitating the care of refugees from Ukraine.

At the extraordinary meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, which took place on Friday afternoon, EU ministers exchanged views with their counterparts from Canada, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), as well as with the Secretary General of NATO. They also had an exchange by videoconference with Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba.

Ministers took stock of the sanctions against Russia, which are already having an immediate first impact on the Russian economy. In view of the intensification of military operations carried out by Russian forces in Ukraine, Minister Asselborn said he was open to new sanctions. He highlighted the importance of supporting independent media in Russia and expressed his support for the demonstrations organised by many citizens in Russia in protest against the military invasion of Ukraine. Luxembourg's Foreign Minister insisted that Russian officials do not reflect the entire Russian population.

Discussions also focused on the progress of military operations and the escalation of violence on the ground. In this respect, Minister Asselborn welcomed the invocation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) of the Moscow Mechanism, as well as the opening of an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Russia in order to investigate the possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine. Luxembourg's Foreign Minister described this as a decisive first step in the fight against impunity. He welcomed the large majority in the vote that took place on Friday at the United Nations Human Rights Council (OHCHR) in favour of a resolution which establishes a commission of inquiry into human rights violations committed by Russia in Ukraine.