Speech by the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pere Joan Pons Sampietro, at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Mr. Speaker, distinguished Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,
Allow me first and foremost to express my sincere gratitude to Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and Secretary General Viacheslav Shtuchnyi for inviting me to visit Ukraine and to address your Parliament.
I am not here alone — I would like to introduce the members of my delegation: the Secretary General, two members of our staff, as well as Ms. Iryna from Ukraine and Mr. Francesco from Italy. We are all here to stand with you.
This is my second visit to Ukraine since the beginning of putin’s aggression. Today, I speak to you not only as President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, but also as a politician and a Member of Parliament of Spain.
Two hundred and thirty-six thousand Ukrainians have found refuge in my country under the Temporary Protection Directive. Over 326,000 people have been granted residence rights in Spain — because in difficult times, we open our doors, we stand together. More than 40,000 Ukrainian children attend Spanish schools; they live, study, and grow up in safety while your country and your people continue to defend themselves with courage and dignity.
First and foremost, I want to pay heartfelt tribute to every Ukrainian soul touched by this relentless wave of aggression since 2014.
Their courage, born of pain, lights the path toward justice, peace, and the shared hope that no darkness can extinguish. Together, we stand united — committed to building a future where freedom and dignity are the inalienable rights of every human being. We are more united than ever.
It was during Spain’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union that Ukraine’s path to EU membership was officially launched. This year, Spain marks 40 years of EU membership — four decades that have brought us stability, growth, and progress. The same awaits Ukraine!
Ladies and gentlemen,
Europe stands by your side — as clearly demonstrated by last week’s summit in Copenhagen. The European Political Community stands with you. Security remains at the heart of our regional agenda. Europeans understand — your struggle is our struggle.
As President of an Assembly representing hundreds of parliamentarians from over 57 participating States, I can affirm that we are united in this fight — because your fight is our fight.
You are defending the universal values we all share. You are standing up to an aggressor who shows no respect for those values, for international law, for the Geneva Conventions, or for democracy itself.
Our democracy is being defended today in Donetsk, Mariupol, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. If you are defeated — we are defeated.
Our Assembly serves as a platform — a strong political voice for your cause. We use the tools we possess: unity, principles, dialogue. We fight with the strength of our arguments, not with the argument of strength.
As fellow politicians, you know that our true power lies in our principles. We carry your voice to every parliament — we are a great amplifier, a platform for your cause. We stand on the right side of history because the people of Ukraine have shown the world that putin will not win this war, that democracy remains the strongest antidote to authoritarianism, and that your struggle is the struggle of all free people.
Let me be clear: russia’s war against Ukraine is illegal, unjustified, and unprovoked. These are the exact words of the declaration adopted by our Assembly by an overwhelming majority.
Since the beginning of my presidency — a little less than 100 days ago — I have repeated one message: President putin must end this war. He must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And any peace, to be genuine, must be agreed with Ukraine — not imposed upon it.
russia’s aggression threatens not only your country; it threatens the stability of our international order and undermines the principles that safeguard our region’s security and our peoples’ freedom.
Violations of the airspace of Poland, Romania, Estonia, Denmark, and Lithuania remind us all that this is not just Ukraine’s war — it is a war against us all.
With winter approaching, we are witnessing targeted strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure designed to plunge civilians into cold and darkness. russia must understand the gravity of its actions. These acts bear the hallmarks of genocide, as defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
We know the cost of defending democracy. It is with deep sorrow that I honour the memory of your former Speaker, Andriy Parubiy, who lost his life during this war. His courage and sacrifice will not be forgotten.
Defending international law is not Ukraine’s burden alone — it is our shared responsibility. Failing to invest in democracy always carries consequences.
In accordance with our Rules of Procedure, russia has lost its voting rights in our Assembly. Today, our voice is the voice of Ukraine. And our support goes far beyond words.
In 2023, we established the Parliamentary Support Group for Ukraine — a special body that coordinates our Assembly’s work under the leadership of colleagues including Co-Chair Mykyta Poturaiev. The group focuses on crucial issues such as the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.
Let me be clear: the kidnapping of children from their homes, forced assimilation, and abuse are not only war crimes — they are moral crimes. Our Porto Declaration of 2025 calls for coordinated international action to ensure the safe return of these children.
Today, I am announcing that I will propose that our Assembly formally join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children and the accountability of russia.
We also recognise the deep gendered impact of the war: Ukrainian women endure separation, trauma, and violence. They must be at the heart of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. Our Assembly’s commitments are not symbolic — they are part of our daily work. From the very first day of my presidency, Ukraine has been my top priority. My first phone call as President was to you, Mr. Stefanchuk — a clear sign of how central Ukraine is to our mission.
Despite the war, limitations, and losses, your delegation — under the leadership of Mr. Poturaiev — continues to demonstrate its dedication by participating in all major debates. We are grateful for the excellent cooperation with your Mission in Vienna, headed by Ambassador Yurii Vitrenko.
Last month, I addressed the OSCE Permanent Council to remind States that investing in the OSCE means investing in democracy and in the future of our children. When our principles are challenged, we must defend them firmly and unequivocally.
Looking ahead, our Assembly remains fully committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, to justice and accountability for war crimes, and to Ukraine’s democratic and European future.
At our Autumn Meeting in Istanbul, I will reaffirm this commitment — and it will be my honour to welcome President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he addresses us there.
Mr. Speaker Stefanchuk, I warmly invite you to join us in Vienna this February for our Winter Meeting to further deepen our parliamentary cooperation.
Thank you for inviting me to the Crimea Platform Summit in Stockholm. I confirm my participation — and let me state clearly: Crimea is Ukraine.
We demand the immediate release of the three OSCE representatives illegally detained by russia. Their detention violates international norms and shows contempt for the OSCE. Our message will be delivered at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna this December, where once again we will speak with one voice — the voice of Ukraine.
Allow me to conclude with a memory — and a promise.
In 1937, the Spanish town of Guernica was bombed — one of the first large-scale attacks on civilians in Europe. President Zelenskyy recalled Guernica in his address to the Spanish Parliament in 2022 — I was there that day.
I wish to recall it again today, here in Kyiv — because Guernica is not only a city, it is a warning and a promise.
A warning of what happens when we remain silent — and a promise that we will not look away.
We will continue to stand with those who choose freedom — here in Ukraine, in Gaza, and everywhere.
We will continue to stand with those who defend dignity.
We will continue to stand with Ukraine.
Slava Ukraini!