On June 30, 2026, American University Washington College of Law Dean Emeritus and Academy on Human Rights Co-Chair, Professor Claudio Grossman, spoke on a panel at the European Parliament headquarters in Brussels addressing the human rights situation in Ukraine since the 2022 invasion led by Russia. The event also focused on the role of Latin America and Europe in supporting Ukrainians in what has been more than four years of armed conflict, leaving almost 2 million people killed or wounded, according to estimates by U.S. think tanks and the United Nations.

The panel was organized thanks to the institutional commitment of the European Parliament and its work supporting civil society organizations. ¡Aguanta Ucrania!, a Latin American solidarity campaign supporting all affected Ukrainians, was the main organizer and driving force behind this necessary discussion, which helped the audience and everyone watching online understand the scale of devastation that the war has created and that continues to grow. The conference was also held in memory of Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian novelist and war crimes researcher who tragically passed away after being injured during a Russian attack on Kramatorsk. Amelina was a recipient of the Joseph Conrad Literary Award and a finalist for the European Union Prize for Literature.

Professor Grossman delivered his remarks alongside a panel that included distinguished politicians and human rights advocates who have defended the need to stop Russian aggression, including:

• Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament
• Javi López Fernández, Vice-President and Member of the European Parliament
• Oleksandra Matviichuk, 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Head of the Center for Civil Liberties
• Sergio Jaramillo, Former High Commissioner for Peace of Colombia and member of “¡Aguanta Ucrania!”

Professor Grossman emphasized that the war against Ukraine violates fundamental principles of international law, including the prohibition on the use of force in international relations, human rights, the rule of law, democracy, and the right to self-determination, while also promoting extreme ideologies. He stressed that the aggression against Ukraine is therefore not only a war against one country, but an attack on international law and principles that concern the entire world. Drawing a connection with Latin America, Professor Grossman recalled that, since the region’s foundation, different authors strongly defended the principle of self-determination as essential to the existence of Latin American nations and their right to choose their own destiny, noting how essential the unconditional support shown by the American region in favor of the State victim of the aggression has been. He further noted that a chauvinistic conception of superiority based on power directly conflicts with the principle of non-discrimination embodied in the international human rights treaties adopted after the Second World War with the support of both Europe and Latin America, a conception that is very much present in some of the arguments used to justify the invasion and highlighted by the current Russian leadership. In this regard, he highlighted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its recognition that all individuals are entitled to rights and that no person can lawfully be subjected to arbitrary restrictions, emphasizing that the observance of such rights remains legally binding even in times of armed conflict, alongside the protective provisions of international humanitarian law.

Roberta Metsola (Malta), President of the European Parliament, highlighted three actions necessary to strengthen Europe's approach to the crisis. First, she emphasized the need to maintain pressure on Russia while continuing to support Ukraine, including through funding packages delivered in record time and by amplifying Ukrainian voices. Second, she stressed that Europe and other regions must push back against the normalization of unilateral and increasingly violent approaches to global affairs. In this context, combating disinformation and defending democracy remain essential. Third, President Metsola called for continued efforts to strengthen democratic dialogue between Europe and Latin America as a means of promoting and defending multilateralism.

Sergio Jaramillo, former Colombian High Commissioner for Peace, reflected on widespread concerns that we are living in an increasingly dangerous and fragile world, marked by fears that the international order may be collapsing. Without dismissing those concerns, Jaramillo argued that the current moment can instead be understood as one of transition, in which the defense of human rights should be regarded not only as a matter of principle and shared values, but also as a matter of self-interest. He emphasized that there is perhaps no region where human rights are more deeply embedded in its DNA than Latin America. Against this background, Jaramillo argued that Russia has turned its back on human rights not only by perpetrating an act of aggression against Ukraine, but also by committing indiscriminate killings of civilians. Referring to reporting by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, he noted that almost 40 percent of recorded civilian deaths occurred miles away from the front lines, a reality that, in his view, points to civilians being deliberately targeted and demonstrates that the consequences of the war extend far beyond the battlefield. He characterized this conduct as barbaric and further observed that, while the numbers of civilian deaths in Gaza and Ukraine are comparable, the situation in Ukraine presents the extraordinary circumstance of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council committing these crimes. Jaramillo concluded on a personal note by recalling that he was with Victoria Amelina on the day they were both victims of a Russian missile attack. He described her death as a tremendous loss for the Ukrainian people.

Oleksandra Matviichuk, 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Ukrainian human rights activist, highlighted how closely connected Latin America, Europe, and Ukraine are in terms of their shared values, particularly at a time when those values are under attack. She argued that one of the fundamental questions facing the international community is how people in the XXI century will defend human rights and rely on the rule of law, or whether brutality will instead be tolerated. In her view, this question is not only about Ukraine, Sudan, Venezuela or Nicaragua, but about humanity as a whole. Matviichuk noted that the current peace negotiations led by the United States have coincided with one of the deadliest periods in Ukraine, which, in her view, indicates that something is moving in the wrong direction. She expressed particular concern that the human dimension of the conflict has been lost, with discussions increasingly focused on minerals and economic advantages rather than on displaced children and people illegally abducted to Russia. She also emphasized the lack of clarity regarding the situation of prisoners of war, many of whom have been subjected to torture and deprived of adequate medical care.

For his part, Javi López Fernández (Spain), Vice-President and Member of the European Parliament, pointed out that Europe has often overlooked Latin America's important role in the defense of multilateralism and international law. He emphasized that Latin America has been instrumental in some of the most significant human rights achievements within the United Nations. While Europe has demonstrated its support for Ukraine through material solidarity, Latin America's solidarity has also been reflected in its voting record in support of Ukraine and in condemnation of the aggression. According to López Fernández, this creates important avenues for potential collaboration between the two regions that need to be further developed and channeled. At the same time, he identified consistency as one of Europe's remaining challenges: the principles defended in the context of Ukraine must also be upheld in conflicts and crises worldwide. He noted that this is a concern frequently raised by Latin America and emphasized that consistency is essential not only in supporting Ukraine, but also in responding to any other conflict.

The AUWCL and the Academy on Human Rights community hopes to keep contributing to academic discussion about relevant human rights situation worldwide, where the focus is always on the protection of human rights and international law. 

You can watch the recording of the panel and its highlights here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbRQ44L2UtA