The European Parliament adopts a resolution in support of Ukraine, calling on the EU to increase military support

A joint resolution on the continuation of the EU's unwavering support for Ukraine after three years of Russian aggression and war, proposed by the majority of political groups in the European Parliament, was voted on Wednesday in Strasbourg during a plenary session.

“The vote was 442 in favor, 98 against and 126 abstentions. A total of 666 MEPs took part in the vote.

“On the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the European Parliament pays tribute to the thousands of people who have given their lives for a free and democratic Ukraine; reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine and its support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders; strongly underlines Ukraine's inherent right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter,” the European Parliament said.

The European Parliament reiterates its strong condemnation of Russia's illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus, North Korea and Iran, and demands that Russia and its proxies immediately cease all attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure, cease all military operations in Ukraine and withdraw all military forces, proxies and military equipment from all internationally recognized territory of Ukraine.

The EP also reiterates its policy of non-recognition of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine by Russia, “including but not limited to Crimea”.

The EP demands that the Russian Federation “permanently cease the violation or threat to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine” and condemns the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian population by Russian invading forces and the indiscriminate destruction of Ukraine's infrastructure. The resolution also demands an end to the forced deportation of Ukrainian civilians and the release and return of all detained Ukrainians, especially children.

The resolution emphasizes that Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine poses a real threat to European security and stability, and that the crime of aggression against Ukraine is a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter. “(The EP) emphasizes that Russia's war of aggression has fundamentally changed the geopolitical situation in Europe and beyond and threatens its security architecture, and that this requires bold, courageous and comprehensive political, security and financial decisions from the EU in response; considers that Ukraine, which is able to effectively defend itself, is an integral part of a stable and predictable European security landscape,” the document says.

The EP believes that the outcome of the war and the position taken by the international community will play a “decisive role in influencing the future actions of other authoritarian regimes that are closely watching the war and assessing the space available to them to pursue aggressive foreign policies, including by military means.”

The EP expressed “deep concern over the apparent change in the United States' position on Russia's aggressive war, which has included openly accusing Ukraine of an ongoing war, suspending US military aid, and attempts to force Ukraine to give up its legitimate right to self-defense and make territorial concessions.” “(The EP) emphasizes that in light of this change, the EU and its member states are now Ukraine's main strategic allies and should maintain their role as the largest donor to Ukraine and significantly increase the much-needed assistance they provide to defend Ukraine's right to self-defense,” the resolution says.

The EP also called on member states to significantly increase and accelerate military support, including the provision of weapons and ammunition, as well as training in response to urgent needs (in particular, long-range weapons systems, air defense systems, artillery systems, electronic warfare systems, anti-drone systems). “(The EP) calls on Member States and their defence industries to invest in and cooperate with the Ukrainian defence industry to maximize the full potential of its production capabilities to produce critical equipment in the most efficient way, following the examples of Denmark and the Netherlands; reiterates its position that all EU member states and NATO allies should collectively and individually commit to supporting Ukraine militarily by allocating at least 0.25% of their GDP annually,” the document details.

The EP also called on the EU and its member states to use its satellite imagery infrastructure for Ukraine and recalled that military support for Ukraine should be sufficient to finally stop Russia's aggressive war and allow Ukraine to liberate all its people, regain full control over all its territory within its internationally recognized borders and deter any further aggression by Russia.

The EP reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine's aspirations for a just and lasting peace and the Formula for Peace and the Victory Plan presented by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The resolution emphasizes that “any genuine peace negotiations must be conducted in good faith and include Ukraine, and any settlement that excludes Ukraine or undermines its legitimate aspirations, such as its right to choose its own security arrangements, or that does not include credible security guarantees for Ukraine that contribute to deterring future Russian aggression, will be neither just nor sustainable.”

Source: European Parliament