The European Union should work on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate to join the union. This is called for by the resolution of the European Parliament, adopted at an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels on Tuesday, March 1. 637 MEPs voted for it, 13 voted against it, 26 more abstained, a DW correspondent reports.
“The European Parliament calls on the EU institutions to work towards granting Ukraine candidate status (for accession. – Ed.) in the EU, in accordance with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union,” the resolution says, adding that, in the meantime, the EU should work to further integrate Ukraine into the EU internal market.
Attacking a civilian population is a war crime
The resolution condemned in the harshest terms “the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine and the invasion into it, as well as the participation of Belarus in this aggression.” The document requires Russia to stop all hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw all troops, weapons and equipment from all internationally recognized territory of Ukraine. The MEPs also called on Russia to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
MEPs support Ukraine
The European Parliament expressed “inconsolable grief over the tragic loss of life and suffering caused by Russian aggression.” The resolution emphasizes that attacks against civilians and infrastructure, as well as indiscriminate attacks, are prohibited by international law and therefore constitute war crimes.
The resolution “paid tribute to the incredible courage shown by the people of Ukraine, the heroic President Volodymyr Zelensky and the brave soldiers defending their country from Russian invaders.”
MEPs propose additional sanctions against Russia
The European Parliament supported the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia for its war against Ukraine. But in view of recent attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure, he pointed to the need for additional tough measures.
The resolution also provides an extensive list of possible additional sanctions. For example, this is a ban on all European investment in Russia, as well as from it. According to the European Parliament, all of Russia and Belarus should be disconnected from the international payment system SWIFT. And banks that use alternative instruments to this system should be subject to separate sanctions. Another option is to close all EU ports not only for Russian ships, but also for those ships that previously entered the harbors in the Russian Federation or go to them.
Russia will have to “compensate for the damage” caused to Ukraine
The resolution calls on the EU and its states to continue to provide economic and financial assistance to Ukraine, as well as to prepare a “multi-billion dollar” plan in euros to support the Ukrainian economy and restore its destroyed infrastructure. “The European Parliament emphasizes that the Russian Federation is responsible for the destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure, including civilian and residential buildings, as well as for significant economic losses, and will have to compensate for the damage caused by its aggressive actions,” the document says.
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