Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – MEPs called EU countries to lift current limitations hindering Ukraine from using Western weapons designs against legitimate military targets in Russia.
A resolution adopted on Thursday 19 September 2024 states that without lifting current restrictions, Ukraine cannot fully exert its right to self-defense and remains exposed to raids on its population and infrastructure. EU Parliament highlights that insufficient deliveries of ammunition and conditions on their use risk offsetting the effect of efforts made to date. It also laments the declining volume of bilateral military assistance to Ukraine by EU countries.
MEPs restated their call for member states to conduct their March 2023 commitment to provide one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine and to rev the delivery of weapons, air defence systems and ammunition, including TAURUS missiles. They also reiterated their position that all EU countries and NATO partners should collectively and individually execute annual military backing for Ukraine militarily of no less than 0.25% of their GDP.
How should the EU enhance sanctions against Russia’s supporters?
The resolution adopted also calls for EU member states to support and extend the EU Council’s sanctions policy against Russia, Belarus, and non-EU countries and entities supplying Russia with military and dual-use technologies. MEPs denounced the recent transfer of ballistic missiles by Iran to Russia and called for intensified sanctions against both Tehran and North Korea for their involvement in helping Russia’s war against Ukraine.
They also want to see more Chinese individuals and entities added to the EU sanctions list as well as more stringent measures to systematically tackle the problem of sanctions circumvention by EU-based companies, third parties, and non-EU countries.
How can the EU secure broader global support for Ukraine’s sovereignty?
While urging the EU and its member states to actively function towards achieving the broadest possible international backing for Ukraine and identifying a peaceful solution to the fighting, MEPs say that any resolution must be established with full respect for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
MEPs also consider accountability for Russian war crimes and reparations and other payments by Moscow as critical aspects of any solution. To this end, MEPs want the EU and like-minded partners to specify a sound legal regime for the seizure of Russian state-owned assets frozen by the EU as part of measures to compensate Ukraine for the massive damage it has suffered.
