Four years of war: Europe must defend Ukraine’s sovereignty to secure peace

Today marks four years since the start of Russia's brutal war of aggression and full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four years of Putin's imperialist regime and incessant attacks on civilians, residential buildings, hospitals, and energy and military infrastructure. Four years of breaching international law, human rights, and threatening global stability.

For four years, the Ukrainian people have shown extraordinary courage, resilience, and determination in defending their country, their freedom, and their European future. From the very first day of the full-scale invasion, the PES has stood side-by-side with Ukraine, working to ensure that the European Union delivers sustained unity, solidarity, and long-term support for Ukraine's recovery and future integration.

This year again, Russia's relentless attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities have left thousands of civilians across multiple regions without heating, water, electricity, or housing during the country's coldest winter in decades. The deliberate targeting of Ukrainian energy systems is a war crime that violates the Geneva Conventions, and Putin's regime must be held fully accountable for these crimes and provide comprehensive reparations to Ukraine.

PES President Stefan Löfven said:

"Europe must increase pressure on Putin's regime to weaken its war machine and strengthen Kyiv's position in negotiations. The EU must step up its efforts to adopt a 20th sanctions package, establish an adequate legal framework to use frozen Russian state assets for Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery, and build a credible and effective European defence by strengthening European sovereignty and the EU pillar within NATO. Since the first day of this brutal aggression, Progressives have expressed full support for Ukraine and our strong commitment to defending sovereignty, peace, freedom, and international law, and we will continue to support Ukraine's path to EU membership and work with Ukrainians to build a safe, social, resilient, and united Europe. We were also the first political force to call for Russia to pay for Ukraine's reconstruction."

We acknowledge the ongoing diplomatic efforts between Ukrainian, American, and Russian envoys to end Russia's war of aggression. However, securing Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders must remain the objective of any negotiations, in full respect of the UN Charter and international law. Any attempt to pressure Ukraine into unjust territorial or military concessions would be unacceptable and would undermine the prospects for a just and lasting peace.

A ceasefire can be a first step towards sustainable peace, but it must be credible, enforceable, and fully respected by Russia. Europe's role in these negotiations is essential and cannot be sidelined. The EU is the largest provider of financial assistance to Ukraine, and our political family fought to approve the €90 billion loan for 2026 and 2027. However, this effort was sabotaged yesterday by the Hungarian and Slovak governments who are weaponising Russian energy for the interests of Putin and at the expense of Ukrainian civilians and Europea security.

We cannot allow pro-Putin governments to block sanction packages, EU loans, or undermine the decisions taken by the European Council. Ukraine needs this help urgently and the EU carries both responsibility and leverage to ensure lasting security and post-war stability in the region.

Katarina Barley, PES Executive Vice-President, said:

"Four years on, the PES continues to stand side-by-side with Ukraine. The Progressive EUkraine Conference that we held in Ukraine in November 2025, together with SD Platform, the S&D, PES CoR, Ukranian representatives, and other partners, was a strong example of our solidarity and determination.
In this increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment, Europe must stand together and reinforce its own defence and security. We cannot allow Putin to weaponise energy and exploit Europe's dependence on Russian fossil fuels to continue financing war and destabilising our continent. Europe must accelerate its energy independence, strengthen its strategic autonomy, and ban Russian energy imports by 2027 to guarantee security and stability for Ukraine and Europe."

As PES, we believe that is why it is of utmost importance to urge the EU, member states, NATO, and international partners to increase their military, financial, and humanitarian aid to support Ukraine's right to self-defence, help end Russia's full-scale invasion, and build a just peace together.