The chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister (EPP, Germany), on Tuesday 1 February welcomed the calm shown by Ukrainians despite the Russian military build-up on their country’s border.
Returning from Mariupol with a European Parliament delegation, the MEP explained at a press conference in Kiev that he had the impression that, while being very worried about the situation, “people are determined, but remain calm, which is extraordinary in these difficult times”.
“We met people who told us that they hope for the best, but that they have to prepare to other outcomes”, he added, saying that in Mariupol they understand what it means to have a ceasefire violated every week.
Like the chair of the European Parliament’s Security and Defence subcommittee, Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe, France), Mr McAllister stressed the European position on the current tensions: call for diplomacy, willingness of the EU to impose sanctions in case of further Russian aggression, etc.
“Ukraine is under military, economic and psychological pressure, but Ukraine has many friends while Russia has decided to isolate itself”, Loiseau said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)