Brussels, 06/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 6 March, European Parliament President Martin Schulz called on the EU to guarantee the territorial integrity of Ukraine. “The territorial integrity, the sovereignty and the right to self-determination must be guaranteed by the EU. Whoever attacks them must answer to the EU”, he said at a press conference with Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniouk. Schulz stated that targeted sanctions must then be discussed, and that if these sanctions become inevitable, they should lead Russia to reflect. The Crimean Parliament has asked Russia's President Vladimir Putin for Crimea to be part of Russia and it has announced the organisation of a referendum on 16 March to decide on being part of the Russian Federation or having a clearly strengthened autonomy.
Schulz also said he was disappointed that a meeting between Russia's Minster for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Deshchytsia, was not able to take place in Paris the previous day.
Schulz wanted the €11 billion announced by the European Commission (see EUROPE 11032) to be available “immediately” in order to enable the Ukrainian government to take action. He recalled that the country is in an extremely difficult situation. (CG)