Situation in Cernăuți (Chernivtsi), Ukraine
25.6.2025
Question for written answer E-002545/2025
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 144
Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă (NI)
On Tuesday 17 June 2025, 20 young Ukrainians, some with their faces covered, physically assaulted several Romanian priests in Cernăuți Cathedral. One of the attackers had originally entered the church in a wheelchair, only to participate in the violent attack subsequently. According to reports, Father Pavel Pavlenco, one of the priests, who has eight children, was taken to A&E, while others also suffered serious injuries such as broken ribs, head wounds and kidney damage. The attackers then barricaded themselves in the cathedral and occasioned major damage. After the incident, members of the Romanian community - including priests - gathered peacefully to protest, but they were brutally dispersed, physically assaulted and exposed to tear gas.
The Priests were assaulted, but Romanians have been discriminated against for years. They are not allowed to speak Romanian or to worship freely, and Romanian Orthodox churches have been shut down.
Thus far, no official statement has been issued in response to what happened in Cernăuți.
- 1.What is the Commission’s official stance on this incident?
- 2.Can events such as this lead to Ukraine’s accession to the EU being put on hold until crimes against minorities, and in particular the Romanian minority, cease and respect for human rights in Ukraine is restored?
Submitted: 25.6.2025