President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Lauri Hussar and his European colleagues participated in the commemoration ceremony held on the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre in Ukraine.
Hussar said in his speech at the ceremony that four years ago, the world had been shocked by photos from the small town of Bucha, which had been liberated from Russian invaders. “The Bucha massacre has become a symbol of the horrors of Russian aggression – a place where one of the greatest crimes against humanity in the 21st century was committed. These acts constitute war crimes and genocide against the Ukrainian people,” he said, and recalled that the Riigikogu had already recognized Russia’s atrocities as genocide in April 2022.
Foto Erik Peinar
At the memorial event, Hussar reaffirmed Estonia’s continued support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. “We must all continue our efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on international law, territorial integrity and sovereignty, and ensure that Russia pays the price for this through harsher sanctions and full accountability,” he said.
In addition to the leaders of Ukraine, the memorial event was attended by guests from abroad. At the invitation of Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Speakers of the parliaments of several European countries participated in the commemoration ceremony.
Following the ceremony, the Speakers participated in a summit dedicated to the anniversary of the Bucha massacre, where they discussed the humanitarian problems caused by Russia’s war of aggression, issues related to energy security, and continued support for Ukraine. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Speakers adopted a Joint Statement.
The Speakers condemn the Russian Federation’ war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirm their full respect for the sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. “In paying tribute to the courage of Ukraine’s defenders, we recognize that their sacrifice safeguards not only their nation but also the core of European security and the international rules-based order,” they say in the Joint Statement.
The Speakers point out that the Bucha massacre tragically reflects the scale and brutality of these crimes and underscores that a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine is impossible without full accountability.
According to the Speakers, the crime of aggression is the “supreme international crime” and impunity for such a crime enables other grave violations and threatens the international rule of law and global security. Therefore, they reaffirm their strong support for the urgent establishment and expeditious launch of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and call for broad accession of states to the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal.
Foto Erik Peinar