A delegation of MEPs ended a visit to Kiev this Tuesday, where they asked for urgent support for the Ukrainian authorities to face the Russian invasion, through the rapid and sustained supply of weapons and ammunition and the seizure of Russian assets.
“The MEPs expressed their firm conviction that the European Union (EU) and the international community must urgently do more and provide Ukraine with all the necessary political, military and economic support to repel Russia’s aggression and restore sovereignty and integrity territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders”, states a statement from the delegation released today.
This objective, according to the text, “can only be achieved through the fastest, most sustained and coordinated delivery of the weapons and ammunition that Ukraine needs, and for as long as necessary, to defeat Russia”, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and that in recent weeks progress has been made on the fronts in the east of the country.
Investments under discussion
In addition to the transfer of weapons and ammunition, to replenish the shortages felt by the Kiev Armed Forces, the European Parliament delegation also discussed with the Ukrainian authorities investment in Ukraine’s defense industry “and preparation for its integration into the Kiev Technological Base European Defense”, highlighted as “an important long-term pillar of the EU’s security guarantees” for the candidate country for the European bloc.
In addition, MEPs also discussed the implementation of the recently approved European aid package of 50 billion euros for Kiev to face the invasion of Moscow’s forces and prepare the necessary reforms in its EU accession process and insisted on the seizure of Russian assets .
“Russia must be held fully responsible for its crimes and pay for the enormous damage caused by its war of aggression, namely through the confiscation of Russian public assets for the purpose of financing the reconstruction of Ukraine and compensating the victims”, they maintain in the statement, stressing the need to create a legal basis for this purpose in a timely manner.
Sansões continue to be “essential”
Quoted in the statement, the co-president of the delegation, German MEP Bernd Lange, argues that “the full and effective implementation of sanctions is essential, as is the filling of all loopholes that allow Russia to circumvent restrictive measures with the help of third countries” .
Over the two days of the visit, the delegation met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the Commander of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky. MEPs also met with members of the Ukrainian Presidency and Parliament, but also with representatives of civil society, including environmental and anti-corruption activists and the Center for Civil Liberties, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In the same informative note, the other co-president of the delegation, also German David McAllister, states that this visit aimed to “clearly demonstrate the EU’s determination to continue supporting Ukraine”, recognizing that, given “the current critical situation, it is imperative that the EU accelerates the provision of necessary support” in the sense that “Russia must not prevail”.
