European Council and Commission Presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, EU High Representative Josep Borrell and the European Parliament political group leaders stressed the need for continued dialogue with Russia, threatened sanctions against it in case of an attack and reiterated their support for Ukraine, during a plenary session debate on Wednesday 16 February.
They stressed the importance of ongoing diplomatic efforts. While these efforts have so far appeared to be ineffective, Russia announced on Tuesday 15 February that it was withdrawing troops from the border and on 16 February that it was ending military manoeuvres and withdrawing some forces from Crimea.
“Diplomacy has not said its last word. Actions must follow words”, warned Ms von der Leyen. “We have chosen to offer all possibilities to diplomatic channels”, Michel explained, but he highlighted that one side cannot endlessly try diplomacy while the other is amassing troops.
Borrell said it was necessary to discuss security concerns with Russia. “We are ready to continue negotiations in search of a solution to the worst crisis since the end of the Cold War. This is not just for Ukraine and Europe, but for all of humanity”.
In a statement adopted alongside the debate, the chairs of the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA and ECR groups in the European Parliament called on Russia to withdraw “immediately and completely its military forces and equipment from Ukraine’s borders. We resolutely reject Russia’s continued attempts to destabilise Ukraine, including the possible recognition of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk entities”, they added.
Informal meeting of EU leaders on Thursday
Whether it was Michel, von der Leyen or Borrell, they all emphasised unity in Europe and with EU partners and international coordination.
EU leaders will meet on Thursday 17 February for an “informal one-hour meeting” ahead of the EU/African Union summit to take stock of the latest developments, according to Charles Michel’s spokesperson. This express meeting should be an opportunity for the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, to inform his counterparts about the meetings in Kiev and Moscow on 14 and 15 February. The foreign ministers of the G7 countries will discuss the situation on Saturday.
Although the EU High Representative explained that Europe was well represented in the discussions, Manfred Weber (EPP, Germany) pointed out Europe’s weakness, saying that coordination between France and Germany, members of the Normandy format, could work better. “We have to speak loudly, any uncertainty motivates [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to continue”, he said. Iratxe García Pérez (S&D, Spain) said that “we cannot be a neutral spectator” on issues that affect the EU.
And if diplomacy fails, Europe is ready to adopt restrictive measures, in coordination with its international partners. In the event of “war”, “Moscow’s relations with us would be seriously compromised”, von der Leyen warned. “Severe sanctions would apply, with disastrous consequences for the Russian economy and its prospects for modernisation”, she added.
On behalf of the EPP, Manfred Weber (Germany) called for Russian banks to be excluded from the international system, while for the Greens/EFA, Ska Keller (Germany) wanted the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to be part of the sanctions package, adding that the EU should rethink its energy dependence on Russia (see other news).
In their statement, the leaders of the political groups called for sanctions to include the exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT system, individual sanctions against the Russian president’s relatives and their families.
Stéphane Séjourné (Renew Europe, France) called for the EU to prepare aid for those Member States that would be most affected by the impact of any sanctions that might be adopted.
Michel proposes a donors’ conference
The Europeans also reiterated their support for Ukraine, reaffirmed its sovereignty and territorial integrity and recognised its Euro-Atlantic aspiration.
Welcoming the EU’s new €1.2 billion macro-financial assistance, Michel said the security situation was causing “significant” damage to the Ukrainian economy and that the EU should certainly help the country more. He therefore proposed to set up, in close cooperation with Ukraine, a “donor conference to support Ukraine’s economic robustness”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was quick to welcome the proposal, saying that in the face of security threats, effective financial and economic support from the EU was a powerful element in strengthening his country’s sovereignty and resilience. Every year since 2017, an international conference on reforms in Ukraine has been organised.
Mr Séjourné, for his part, argued for a gradual integration of Ukraine into the EU’s single market and for going beyond the already comprehensive EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
The leaders of the political groups also called on the EU and its Member States to “continue to provide political support, economic aid and macro-financial and technical assistance wherever needed, including in defence and security-related areas, and to develop a long-term strategy to support Ukraine’s efforts to strengthen the resilience of its democratic institutions and economy”. They also called on the EU institutions to maintain a credible long-term perspective for Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
See the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/d5 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)