COPENHAGEN, 27 February 2022 – With ongoing warfare in Ukraine – including in the capital Kyiv and other major cities – posing serious threats to the civilian population and infrastructure, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden), together with the Bureau of the Assembly and Secretary General Roberto Montella, issued today the following calls:

• To the Russian Federation, for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
• To all sides in the conflict and international mediators, to urgently negotiate, as uttermost priority, the opening of secure humanitarian land and air corridors for the delivery of basic supplies, such as food and medicines. This is crucial first and foremost for Kyiv, where millions of civilians are trapped in shelters, under severe threat and in need of relief.
• To the international community, to support the efforts of humanitarian agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to develop and implement urgent plans to assist the civilian population in Ukraine.
• To OSCE parliamentarians of all 57 participating States, to support the above requests and to actively support, including through their activity as legislators and decision-makers in their national parliaments, the prompt sending of humanitarian relief packages to Ukraine, the financing of humanitarian organizations, as well as respond with solidarity to the inflow of refugees.

The OSCE PA leadership has also expressed alarm over recent reports on the shelling of residential areas and civilian targets, which would constitute a severe violation of the Geneva Conventions.

In recent days, Cederfelt and Montella have been in direct contact with members of the Ukrainian Delegation to the OSCE PA on the ground, and have discussed ways that the Assembly and broader international community can support Ukraine.