Council of Europe

The Venice Commission believes that Ukraine must ensure the right to refuse military service due to confirmed religious beliefs. During the war, the state must provide the possibility of alternative service without weapons.

The President of Ukraine will visit Ireland to meet with Prime Minister Michael Martin. Zelenskyy will then travel to the United States to discuss an agreement on rare earth minerals.

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset said that Ukraine's future is inseparable from Europe.

The Council of Europe intends to establish a special tribunal to review Russia's aggression against Ukraine by the end of 2025. 40 countries and the EU are already working on the legal framework for the future tribunal.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reports progress in establishing a special tribunal to address crimes of aggression by Russia. A coalition of 40 countries is working on the legal framework.

During the Core Group meeting in Brussels, the legal framework for the Special Tribunal against Russia was laid down. The tribunal will have the power to prosecute Russian political and military leaders.

Almost 600 Ukrainian children have been returned to Ukraine thanks to the joint efforts of the Ukrainian authorities and international partners.

The Georgian delegation suspended its work in PACE because it disagreed with the resolution demanding new elections. The delegation considers PACE's demands unacceptable and violating the country's sovereignty.

January 28 is the Day of Approval of the State Flag of Ukraine, International Personal Data Protection Day and World Unemployment Day. In 1992, the Verkhovna Rada officially approved the blue and yellow flag as the national symbol.

The head of the State Service for Ethnic Policy explained the essence of the new law banning religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Federation. The law does not ban the UOC, but requires it to sever ties with the ROC within 9 months.

Georgian authorities will set up a working group with the Council of Europe to amend the law on “foreign agents. ” Prime Minister Kobakhidze promised to release most of the detained protesters and stop the use of force.

Andriy Kostin, who was recently dismissed from the post of Prosecutor General, is to be appointed as Ukraine's ambassador to the Netherlands. This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, who also noted the possible appointment of Malyuska to the Council of Europe.

The European Union is lowering the protected status of wolves from "strictly protected" to "protected". The amendments will take effect in March 2025, unless there are significant objections from the Council of Europe member states.

A meeting was held in Riga to establish a special tribunal to punish the leadership of aggressor countries. The jurisdiction and roadmap of the tribunal were agreed upon, which could be operational by the end of 2024.

Representatives of the Council of Europe and the EU conduct a monitoring visit to Zakarpattia on the rights of national minorities. The delegation assesses access to education and the implementation of legislation for the region's national communities.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has changed the name of the Department for Pan-European Cooperation to the Department for European Affairs.

President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has never spoken of intentions to build nuclear weapons. He recalled the Budapest Memorandum and the security guarantees that Ukraine was supposed to receive in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons.

Kyiv is seriously considering restoring its own nuclear weapons stockpile. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine's security could be ensured either by NATO membership or nuclear weapons.

The Presidents of Ukraine and the United States have a phone conversation. They discussed joint weapons production, a new $425 million aid package, and the upcoming Ramstein meeting.

The body of journalist Victoria Roshchina, who died in Russian captivity, will be handed over to her family in the near future. The Ukrainian authorities are working to investigate her death and draw the attention of the international community to the issue of holding civilian hostages.

The Parliamentary Network on the Situation of Ukrainian Children, chaired by Olena Khomenko, has officially started working in PACE. The first meeting was devoted to ensuring the right of children to grow up in a family environment.

PACE adopts a resolution on missing persons and prisoners of war as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The document provides for specific actions to release the prisoners and bring the perpetrators to justice.

PACE adopted a resolution calling for sanctions against Russian state media and propagandists. The document also recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church as an instrument of Russian influence and propaganda.

At the fall session, PACE will discuss mechanisms for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians. They will also consider the genocidal policy of the Russian Federation, the creation of a Special Tribunal and the work of the Register of Damages.

Andriy Sybiga discussed with Alain Berset cooperation between Ukraine and the Council of Europe, the Peace Formula and Russia's responsibility for crimes. The Minister invited the Secretary General to visit Ukraine.

The Polish parliament passed a law allowing security forces to use lethal weapons with “impunity” in response to threats. This raised concerns among human rights activists about possible human rights violations.

As of May 2024, more than 4. 6 million Ukrainians were registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine due to the ongoing war.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty emphasizes the need to strengthen the integration of Ukrainian refugees in the EU and other countries, to ensure decent conditions and to invest in the integration system.

The Council of Europe should ensure monitoring and analysis of the human rights situation in Ukraine in order to bring perpetrators to justice in the future and overcome the deepening crisis in the field of social rights.

Oleksandr Kornienko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, met with PACE President Theodoros Rouxopoulos to discuss the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian children, the release of prisoners of war, and the consequences of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.