President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), scheduled for June 23-27 in Strasbourg, France.

According to the draft agenda, Zelensky is slated to address the assembly on June 26, though his attendance has not yet been confirmed.

While the content of Zelenky's speech has not been disclosed, the PACE summer session is expected to focus on women's rights in Europe as well as the war in Gaza.

Legal and human rights issues related to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, and a corresponding resolution, are also listed on the agenda.

The spring session, which took place in April 2025, focused predominantly on Georgia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Ahead of the PACE session, Zelensky is also set to attend next week's NATO summit in The Hague on June 24. He is expected to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

PACE is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, an international organization of 46 countries, including Ukraine, that promotes democratic values and human rights. Russia was expelled from the body in early 2022 in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the assembly has issued a number of resolutions regarding Russia, calling for the establishment of an international special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for war crimes and recognizing Putin as an illegitimate dictator.

Most recently, PACE adopted a resolution addressing the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, stressing the urgent need to ensure accountability and avoid impunity for the serious breaches of international law committed.

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The Kyiv IndependentLinda Hourani

Ukrainian intelligence has proof that Russia is preparing new military operations in Europe, said President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 22 after a report from military intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov.

"We are observing a continued intellectual decline within the Russian leadership and have evidence that they are preparing new military operations on European territory," Zelensky said on X.

Zelensky added that Ukraine will inform foreign partners regarding the information obtained by intelligence. The statement follows earlier warnings by Kyiv that Russia may be preparing aggression beyond Ukraine's borders.

The president did not provide further details on the planned Russian operations, their dates, or countries that might be targeted.

"We are preparing joint decisions for defense, in particular with the United Kingdom and the European Union," Zelensky wrote.

Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine will continue its efforts to weaken Russia's army.

"We’re aware of... (Russia's) key vulnerabilities and will strike accordingly to defend our state and people, as well as to significantly reduce Russia’s capacity for aggression," the president said.

Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has ramped up sabotage operations across Europe, aiming to destabilize the security situation in countries supporting Kyiv against Russian aggression.

Ukrainian foreign intelligence warned in May that Russia would be able to restore its combat capabilities and launch aggression against Europe between two and four years after hostilities in Ukraine ended.

Foreign officials and EU diplomats have increasingly called for the preparation for a potential full-scale conflict between NATO and Russia. On June 2, the United Kingdom announced its largest defense spending increase since the Cold War in the face of "the war in Europe," according to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

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The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy