The PACE session was Ukraine-centric, with separate discussions on veterans – Mezhentseva Exclusive 26.06.2026 21:22 Ukrinform The summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was Ukraine-centric in all its dimensions, and one of its key outcomes was the first separate hearing on policies for supporting Ukrainian veterans.
This was stated in a comment to Ukrinform’s own correspondent by Maria Mezhentseva, head of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, summarizing the results of the session, which concluded on Friday in Strasbourg.
“The PACE session was unequivocally Ukraine-centric, in all respects. First and foremost, we held hearings for the first time concerning veteran policies. Already at the next autumn session, we will vote on two resolutions specifically related to Ukrainian female and male veterans. It is very important for us that both resolutions are supported,” Mezhentseva said.
According to her, the discussions focused on how CoE member states can assist Ukrainian veterans with recovery, psychological support, rehabilitation, and prosthetics.
“Such programs already exist, but cooperation needs to be greater. And the numbers themselves speak to this. Currently, there are officially over two million registered veterans in Ukraine, 10% of whom have disabilities. It is very important that these heroic individuals, who were wounded, unfortunately, experienced their own pain and hardships, and now help others or continue to fight, testified at our hearings,” noted the head of the delegation.
She emphasized that the issue of prosthetics and rehabilitation for veterans is being addressed separately with partners, particularly with Monaco, which will preside over the Council of Europe for the next six months.
Following the hearings, European colleagues reached out to the Ukrainian delegation regarding the specific needs of veterans.
“And we are already working on establishing recreational camps for our veterans to aid their recovery. This means there is already a lot of concrete action involving our Ministry of Veterans Affairs,” Mezhentseva stated.
According to her, the Ukrainian agenda at the summer session was not limited to the veteran segment. PACE also addressed issues of food security, access to medical services for migrants, refugees, and displaced persons, transnational repression, Ukrainian children deported by Russia, and the role of women in diplomacy, peace, and security.
“Of course, we are pleased to hear how active the Ukrainian delegation is; these are assessments from various political colleagues. It’s gratifying to hear their appraisal of the Defense Forces’ work. We urge them to continue supporting our Armed Forces in all aspects – military, recreational, and financial,” emphasized Mezhentseva.
As Ukrinform reported, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe condemned the use of hunger as a method of warfare, unlawful restriction of humanitarian access, and attacks on objects essential for the survival of the population, including agricultural and food infrastructure.
Photo: Maria Mezhentseva, Facebook
PACE Ukraine War veterans Mezhentseva
Джерело: www.ukrinform.ua