EU expresses special solidarity with people of Ukraine on Day Against Homophobia

LGBT+ march in Odesa. Photo: suspilne.media

On May 17, 2026, the Council of Europe, together with the EU delegation in Ukraine and embassies of dozens of Western countries, published a joint statement on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, in which they emphasized special solidarity "with the people of Ukraine in their pursuit of a just, inclusive and democratic society."

"As Ukraine demonstrates remarkable resilience against Russian aggression, it reaffirms its commitment to the universal values of human dignity, equality, and the rule of law. Ukraine’s aspiration to join the European Union reflects a historic choice," the statement reads.

Among Ukraine's defenders, the statement's authors particularly highlight "LGBTQI+ volunteers, activists, and service members."

The statement says that the EU welcomes legislative initiatives aimed at recognizing registered same-sex partnerships, as well as "Ukraine’s commitments under the Rule of Law Roadmap, in view of Ukraine’s European integration path."

The authors praised Ukraine for the fact that its "judiciary has recognized legal value to the same-sex partners in long-term relationships" and emphasized "the importance of ensuring that all legislative reforms remain consistent with Ukraine’s international human rights obligations and commitments undertaken within the EU accession process."

"To that effect, we believe that further development of the draft Civil Code would help ensure stronger safeguards for equality and non-discrimination. Today, we reaffirm our solidarity with LGBTQI+ individuals in Ukraine and beyond," the text says.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that employees of the Netherlands Embassy in Kyiv raised an LGBT flag above the building.

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