Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Council of Europe, Mykola TOCHYTSKYI, delivers a lecture to students and postgraduate researchers of the ES Institute of International Relations

On 29 October 2026, as part of the cooperation between the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and with the support of the Chair of International Organisations and Diplomatic Service, the Chair of International Information, and the Chair of International Media Communications and Communication Technologies, Mykola TOCHYTSKYI, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Council of Europe, met with first- and second-year master’s students and postgraduate researchers on the ‘International Regional Studies’, ‘International Communications’ and ‘International Relations, Public Communications and Regional Studies’ programmes. The lecturers were Natalia YAKOVENKO, Professor in the Chair of International Organisations and Diplomatic Service; Nataliia PIPCHENKO, Professor in the Chair of International Information; and Olena SHEVCHENKO, Professor in the Chair of International Media Communications and Communication Technologies.

During the lecture, students learned about the international legal mechanisms for holding the Russian Federation accountable for violations of the rights of Ukrainian citizens in temporarily occupied territories. The speaker stressed that a state’s cessation of membership of the Council of Europe does not absolve it of responsibility for violations committed. Particular attention was given to the practical aspects of Ukraine’s activity within the Council of Europe: drafting international legal documents, examining their provisions from a legal perspective, decision-making procedures and monitoring their implementation.

An important topic of the lecture was the discussion of mechanisms to record and compensate for damage caused by Russia. Students learned about the establishment of the Register of Damage for Ukraine, which began accepting claims in April 2024, as well as the work of the compensation commission and other mechanisms aimed at holding the Russian Federation internationally accountable.

At the end of the lecture, the speaker shared practical advice on working with documents, emphasising the importance of precise wording, verifying documents’ legal status, tracking their implementation and taking into account decisions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

The Chair of International Information and the Chair of International Media Communications and Communication Technologies would like to thank the Chair of International Organisations and Diplomatic Service for organising the event.

Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to more valuable meetings!