Russian pressure on Eastern Partnership countries and in particular destabilisation of eastern Ukraine (debate)
Adina-Ioana Vălean (ALDE). - Mr President, for a month now we have been busy putting big words in public statements to show our concern for the people of Ukraine, our condemnation of Moscow’s actions or our indignation at Russia’s Soviet-style behaviour. Resolution after resolution we have shouted out loud our worries when Russia bluntly goes about annexing bits and pieces of Ukraine.
At the same time, President Schulz is talking about EU-Russia common interests. Well, not all of us are willing to sell our souls for Russian gas. It might be easy for some to talk that way – the ones who did not feel the destructive might of Soviet Russia – but it is insulting to all those people from Romania, Poland or East Germany who died fighting for freedom and democracy, and these are the values the Ukrainian people are fighting for today. We should not repeat the same mistakes with Moldova. We cannot end up debating resolutions when it is too late. We must give them a European membership perspective and sign the Association Agreement as soon as possible.