NATO PA president: Peace in Ukraine cannot be built on concessions to aggressor

A just and lasting peace in Ukraine cannot be built on concessions to the aggressor, NATO Parliamentary Assembly President and Vice President of the Portuguese Parliament Marcos Perestrello said.

Perestrello said at Bucha Summit 2026 on Tuesday that the stronger Ukraine was on the battlefield, the stronger it would be at the negotiating table. He stressed that a just and lasting peace could not be built on concessions to the aggressor and had to be secured through strength, unity and resolve.

He added that supporting Ukraine's defense today was the only reliable path to peace tomorrow.

Perestrello said that parliamentarians had to continue urging their governments, the European Union and NATO to act urgently and substantially increase both military support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia. He said the current level of support had proved insufficient to force Russia to commit to a sustainable political process, which was why Ukraine urgently needed additional air defense systems, air-to-air missiles, artillery shells and long-range capabilities.

He also said that the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and Portugal's parliament were steadfast supporters of the creation of a special tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression.

Perestrello added that Russia's leadership had to be held accountable for the attacks committed against the Ukrainian people, as well as for all war crimes, crimes against humanity, acts of genocide and human rights violations that had been widely documented.