Evgeni Kirilov (S&D). - Madam President, I think so far there is a broad consensus in this House that we will strongly support Ukraine towards political and economic reforms. But let us face it: there is no easy way out of the complex situation in the country. The post-Soviet legacy of Ukraine is dominated by oligarchs and weak institutions which further complicate the task of dealing with the present deep crisis and addressing regional sensitivities.

One lesson we are still learning is that the end of the Cold War should not be confused with the appearance of the zero-sum games of geopolitics, and both the EU and the new leaders in Ukraine should be aware of, and deal wisely and constructively with, the Russian concerns – and of course we expect Russia to behave accordingly. This is no time for mistakes. One very recent mistake, as already mentioned by a number of colleagues, is the revocation of the law on the special status of ethnic minorities’ languages. This, among other things, concerns the rights of the Bulgarian minority in Ukraine as well. But let us also consider the fact that there is a huge minority Russian-speaking population, and such actions undertaken in a hurry could have important consequences.

The Ukrainian people and politicians face huge challenges, but they are not alone. If they move forward decisively, we should not disappoint them. These are crucial times. Let us all invest all our efforts in moving Ukraine forward.