Today at 20:01
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is on a visit to Kyiv. The day before, on February 16, he met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The parties discussed the development of a compensation mechanism for damages caused by Russia’s actions. The correspondent of the FREEДОМ TV channel, Oleh Borysov, spoke about the Secretary General’s current plan, UATV English reports.
Berset arrived in one of the residential districts of Kyiv that was temporarily left without heating and hot water as a result of Russian attacks. It is here that some of the largest “Points of Invincibility” for local residents have been set up.
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe decided to familiarize himself with the situation in detail, to see the consequences of Russian attacks and the realities in which Kyiv residents live today.
After that, Berset addressed the press and spoke about the main goals on which the Council of Europe should focus today. First and foremost, this is increasing pressure on the Russian Federation.
“The institution of the Council of Europe itself does not have such powers. But the Secretary General, after speaking with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and with local residents of Kyiv, returns to Strasbourg with a huge amount of collected information,” the journalist noted.
Based on this data, reports will be prepared within the Council of Europe and further steps will be developed on how pressure on Putin can be increased.
“The most important pressure that can be exerted is to clearly demonstrate what we want to achieve together. A society based on democracy, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights. The only way to achieve this is to establish peaceful relations based on the rule of law and to support the development of democratic values. Because this is the only system in which citizens can decide how they should be treated in their country. This is the only way to ensure reliable protection of human rights. For our part, we are doing everything possible to provide the necessary support,” Berset emphasized.
In addition, Alain Berset said that he will do everything possible to create a compensation mechanism. Ukrainians have already submitted more than 100,000 applications. In particular, Berset actively advocates that compensation for Ukrainians should be allocated specifically from frozen Russian assets. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe is one of those politicians who are fundamentally convinced that Russian frozen assets should be transferred to Ukraine. However, there is still no consensus among European countries on this issue.
According to Oleh Borysov, Alain Berset’s visit is already coming to an end. A great deal of information has been collected. Many results and important statements have been made.
“The most important thing for Ukraine is the colossal support from the Council of Europe. And that is 46 members, including EU states and not only. And their support for Ukraine is unanimous,” the journalist summarized.
As reported, Alain Berset met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha. The head of the MFA informed him about the situation on the battlefield and in the energy sector after Russia’s barbaric strikes, about peace efforts, and about pressure on the aggressor.
Earlier, Andrii Sybiha and Alain Berset held a meeting in Davos. The parties discussed the creation of a Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine, the work of the International Claims Commission, as well as other mechanisms for holding Russia accountable.
Read also: Steps for the EU’s rejection of Russian energy resources announced by Jørgensen
