Brussels, 16/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - As the European Commission sent each member state its assessment of the impact on its own economy of phase 3 sanctions against Russia, many MEPs called on 16 April for extra sanctions to be issued. Vice-president of the Greens Rebecca Harms of Germany said the hypothetical talk about sanctions had to stop because it was time to turn words into action and stop saying there is no way round reliance on Russia for gas. On behalf of the EPP, José Ignacio Salafranca (Spain) said it was time to move to the next stage with economic sanctions because the EU has not done enough to protect Ukraine's sovereignty and integrity.
French EPP MEP Arnaud Danjean said that Russia had lit a slow-burn fuse under an explosive powder keg and the responses seem feeble, but at least make the right noises. He called for the sanctions to be stepped up immediately. Adrian Severin (non-attached, Romania) said the effect of weapons needed to be calculated and it must not be allowed to rebound on the EU.
Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (ALDE, Belgium) called for an arms embargo. She said member states had to be appealed to and contracts for arms and soldiers have to be frozen. All economic levers must be utilised, she said, with the backing of Tunne Kelam (EPP, Estonia) rather than business as usual.
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (EPP, Poland) urged the EU to send a surveillance mission to eastern Ukraine, as had been done in Georgia in 2008. Dutch ALDE MEP Johannes Cornelis Van Baalen said the European Union must invest more in common defence through NATO. He said that those who want peace had to prepare themselves and NATO is the perfect place for that.
Hopes placed in the 17 April meeting
The MEPs gave their backing to the four-party meeting in Geneva on 17 April. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (ALDE, Germany) said that discussion must continue and, during the darkest moments of the Cold War, there was always dialogue with Russia. He hoped that there would be talks with Russia in Geneva because one can never have war in Europe against Russia, only with Russia. Harms said that people must stop conjecturing in Geneva and state clearly what is wanted. On behalf of the S&D, Libor Roucek (Czech Republic) said that dialogue was the preferred route for solving the crisis. (CG)