NATO Parliamentary Assembly President, Marcos Perestrello (Portugal) addressed the fourth Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform

In his statement, President Perestrello stressed that the NATO Parliamentary Assembly “fully supports efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace – one that ensures a free, sovereign, and prosperous future for Ukraine; that guarantees Ukraine’s and Europe’s long-term security; and that does not reward aggression but deters it.” He added: “We can have no illusions. Russia is and will remain a threat to NATO and Euro-Atlantic security. Any potential political settlement must lead to an end to its pattern of aggressive behaviour. The NATO PA supports peace through strength: the best way to get to peace tomorrow is to support Ukraine’s defences today.”

The Summit, held in Stockholm, Sweden, on 23-24 November, was hosted by the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) Andreas Norlén and the Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk. It brought together over 50 delegations from parliaments and international organisations worldwide.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly was one of the first international organisations to support the International Crimea Platform when it was formally established in August 2021. 
 
The Assembly maintains strong dialogue and cooperation with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine since 2014 and broke off relations with the Russian parliament two weeks after Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Assembly redoubled its support for Ukraine by condemning the war, endorsing strong economic sanctions against Russia, and working with Ukrainian parliamentarians to secure military equipment and humanitarian assistance. The Assembly also established a special fund to support the Verkhovna Rada.

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Photo, courtesy of the Riskdag of Sweden.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is institutionally separate from NATO but serves as an essential link between NATO and the parliaments of the NATO nations. It provides greater transparency of NATO policies and fosters better understanding of the Alliance’s objectives and missions among legislators and citizens of the Alliance.