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Italy support of Ukraine

Italy support of Ukraine
Italy support of Ukraine

Italy condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, which is a blatant violation of international law and humanitarian principles.
Italy highlights its unwavering support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, full sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognized borders and its proactive engagement within the Euro-Atlantic community efforts to support Ukraine.
Italy also fully supports Ukraine’s European path and actively contributed to the granting of EU candidate status to Kyiv.
In coordination with partners, we strongly condemned Russia’s sham referenda and annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia and shall never recognize such illegal acts. The Russian Ambassador in Rome was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 3rd 2022 to convey these messages.
We also support Ukraine’s future reconstruction, in line with the principles and commitments endorsed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference that took place in Lugano on 4-5 July 2022. In line with the priorities of our diplomatic action, we call on Russia to immediately cease hostilities, ensure safe passage to civilians by agreeing and respecting humanitarian corridors, and to refrain from any action that may affect civilian and critical infrastructures or nuclear facilities.
Italy strongly condemns Russian strikes against civilian and critical infrastructure, which continue worsening the humanitarian situation and civilians’ conditions. Italy is ready to work with its partners to bolster Ukraine’s infrastructure resilience, as stated at the Paris Conference on 13 December 2022, where Italy pledged 10 million Euros.
Italy continues to urge Russia to put immediately an end to its escalatory measures, including the irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, and stresses that any use of nuclear weapons by Russia will be met with severe consequences.
We reject Russia’s actions at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and the increasing pressures exerted on the staff of the site. The safety, security and safeguards of the nuclear facility are crucial and we fully support the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts in this regard.
Italy is in favor of a just peace under Kyiv’s full ownership. Italy appreciates President Zelensky’s formula for peace and supports the plan in principle.
Italy also continues to call on Russia to engage in meaningful dialogue and negotiations aimed at establishing a ceasefire and humanitarian measures with a view to elaborating a shared and sustainable solution to the conflict.
Italy deems it important that channels of communication between Ukraine and Russia remain as open as possible. This has led to practical and localized agreements, such as on the exchanges of prisoners and on the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which have brought some relief.
Italy will continue to exert pressure on Russia by engaging in the multilateral sphere to ensure Russia’s isolation in light of its wanton disregard for the values, principles and norms of the international order, and to pursue its accountability for the gross violations it has committed and continues to perpetrate.
During its mandate as Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Italy presided over the Committee’s decision that ruled that membership of the Russian Federation in the Council of Europe ceased as from 16 March.
In the OSCE, Italy joined the decision to activate twice the OSCE Moscow Mechanism on Human Dimension to establish a mission of experts to address the human rights and humanitarian impacts of the Russian Federation’s invasion and acts of war on the people of Ukraine.
Italy supports action by the EU aimed at isolating and putting pressure on Russia in the various WTO groups and meetings as well as to suspending concessions or other obligations with respect to the Russian Federation, such as the most-favoured-nation treatment. Likewise, it supports EU action to suspend the accession process of Belarus.
At the same time, Italy is urging key players to push Russia to exercise restraint and move closer to a diplomatic solution of the crisis through peace talks.
Italy is working with like-minded partners to detect, prevent, monitor and react to Russian disinformation and information manipulation and interference.
Italy joined more than 40 partners in the referral of the situation in Ukraine to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, in order to expedite investigations on alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed in Ukraine. In response to the request made by Prosecutor Khan, Italy has committed a voluntary contribution of half a million Euros to the Trust Fund established by the Office of the Prosecutor and expressed availability to deploy several experts to support the Court’s investigations. It is also providing an additional contribution to the Trust Fund for victims.
Together with its partners, Italy has repeatedly affirmed its support for Ukraine’s application instituting proceedings against Russia before the International Court of Justice under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Last 15 September Italy, invoking article 63 of the Court’s Statute, officially filed a declaration of intervention in the said case.
Italy intervened as third party in the proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights concerning Ukraine’s allegations of mass and gross human-rights violations committed by the Russian Federation in its military operations.
Italy co-sponsored and voted in favour of the adoption of five Resolutions approved by the United Nations General Assembly on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and of the “Veto-Initiative” Resolution, which establishes that, following a veto in the Security Council, the General Assembly is automatically convened within 10 days. Also at the UN General Assembly, in December 2022, Italy co-sponsored and voted in favor of resolution on the situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and in the city of Sevastopol promoted by Ukraine.
Italy joined the Group of Friends of Accountability following the aggression against Ukraine and has recently joined the Core Group dedicated to achieving accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
Within the Human Rights Council (HRC) Italy actively supported Ukrainian initiatives to address ongoing violations of human rights and to promote accountability. At the beginning of March 2022 Italy supported the request to hold an urgent debate on the human rights situation in Ukraine and was among the first co-sponsors of the HRC resolution, which established an independent international Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, which are occurring in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. On the occasion of the 49th HRC session, together with other 50 countries (including all EU MS, US and UK), Italy also joined a cross-regional joint statement promoted by Poland expressing deep concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in Russia. Also within the HRC, together with other 54 Countries, including all EU MS, Italy has supported the convening of the Special Session on the deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression held on the 12th of May that led to the adoption of a Resolution co-sponsored by all EU MS and adopted with a large majority (33 votes in favor, 2 against and 12 abstentions), which further details and strengthens the mandate of the CoI. Within the 51th session of the HRC (September-October 2022), Italy co-sponsored a side-event promoted by Ukraine on the issue of accountability. We continued to raise the attention on the human rights situation in Ukraine within the Human Rights Council, including by intervening in our national capacity in the interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on his report addressing killings of civilians committed in parts of the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine between 24 February and 6 April 2022. In November 2022, Italy also decided to provide a financial contribution amounting to EUR 500.000 to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to support the work of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The first amount (EUR 375.000) was already transferred in December 2022.
Italy co-sponsored the Decision, recently adopted by UNESCO Executive Board, to alleviate the consequences of war on Ukraine’s Heritage. Moreover, Italy has been closely involved in finding a solution to the thorny problem of the Presidency of the World Heritage Committee, tasked to protect the World Heritage, entrusted to Russia, responsible for the destruction of Ukrainian Heritage. As a consequence, Italy has been instrumental in fostering a general agreement in the Committee, which resulted in the replacement of the Russian Chairman. Italy, in coordination with UNESCO, provided the Ukrainian authorities with the technical expertise to prepare the candidature file of the Historic Centre of Odessa as a World Heritage Site. Italy is also providing support to monitor the damage to the Ukrainian Heritage, with a special focus on UNESCO World Heritage Sites and those on the Ukrainian Tentative List, as well as other sites of national interest.
Italy voted the suspension of all activities run by the OECD with Russia and a consequent decision by the OECD Council was adopted. Moreover, Italy, as Chair of the 2022 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, has proposed to discuss the crisis in Ukraine at the MCM in June, the most important yearly meeting of the Organization; the proposal was accepted.
Italy supported the decision of the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to convene an extraordinary session of the General Assembly; and on 27 April 2022 voted in favour of the suspension of the Russian Federation from membership in the Organization.
Italy has also contributed to the approval of the regulation of the Council of the EU of 24 May 2022 allowing for temporary trade liberalisation and other trade concessions with regard to certain Ukrainian products, a measure which can significantly support Ukraine’s economy.

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