Strasbourg (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The newly elected European Parliament assumed a resolution reaffirming the necessity for further European Union backing for Ukraine both in repulsing Russian aggression and in securing future EU membership.
How did MEPs vote on supporting Ukraine?
The resolution “the need for the EU’s continuous support for Ukraine” was voted on Wednesday in Strasbourg during the foremost plenary session of the European Parliament. A total of 495 MPEs voted in acceptance, 137 voted against, and 47 refrained. A total of 679 MPEs voted.
The text of the resolution was arranged by five political groups: the European People’s Party group, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group, the European Conservatives and Reformists group, the Renew Europe group, and the Greens/EFA group.
“The European Parliament reaffirms its positions on the continued support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders and the unwavering commitment of the EU to providing political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for as long as it takes to secure Ukraine’s victory,” the resolution said.
The European Parliament urges the EU and its Member States to perform actively towards maintaining and reaching the broadest possible international support for Ukraine.
“The European Parliament restates that Ukraine, as a victim of aggression, has the fair right to self-defence in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter; recalls that the significant, though still inadequate, military assistance provided by the EU, the US and like-minded members is designed to allow Ukraine to effectively protect itself against an aggressor state and to re-establish complete control over its entire internationally recognised territory,” the resolution declared.
Why is the EU backing Ukraine’s EU membership bid?
The European Parliament also accommodated the recently launched EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. “The European Parliament considers that their steady integration into the EU symbolises a geostrategic and democratic opportunity and an investment in a united and vigorous Europe; recalls that EU accession is a precisely merit-based process that requires the completion of the criteria for EU membership, including those concerning democracy, the rule of law, fundamental values and the struggle against corruption; recalls that the accession process needs adequate EU financial and technical help,” the resolution states.
How will the EU use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine?
Moreover, MEPs greeted recent EU efforts to direct revenues arriving from frozen Russian assets to back the Ukrainian war effort. They also desire a “sound legal regime for the seizure of Russian state-owned assets frozen by the EU”.
What did the European Parliament say about Ukraine’s NATO path?
The European Parliament welcomed the development of the recent NATO summit and reaffirmed its outlook that Ukraine is on an irreversible path to Nato membership. MEPs called on the EU and member nations to increase their military backing for Ukraine for as long as necessary and in whatever form necessary.
They called on the European Commission to submit long-term financial contributions for the reconstruction of Ukraine, building on the background of the newly established Ukraine Facility. The European Parliament denounced Russia’s barbaric missile attack on the Okhmadyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv, and the current visit of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to the Russian Federation, which does not convey the EU and is a blatant violation of the EU’s treaties and common foreign policy.
