MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine
13.12.2021 - (2021/3010(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Viola Von Cramon‑Taubadel, Hannah Neumann, Ignazio Corrao, Bronis Ropė, Francisco Guerreiro, Reinhard Bütikofer, Tineke Strik, Yannick Jadot, Pär Holmgren, Alice Kuhnke, Jakop G. Dalunde, Mounir Satouri, Sergey Lagodinsky
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0594/2021
B9‑0594/2021
European Parliament resolution on the situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Ukraine and Russia,
– having regard to the UN Charter,
– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights,
– having regard to the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe of 1 August 1975 (the Helsinki Final Act),
– having regard to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security of 3 December 1994,
– having regard to the Memorandum on security assurances in connection with Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of 5 December 1994 (the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances),
– having regard to the Vienna Document of 30 November 2011 on confidence- and security-building measures,
– having regard to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part, in particular Title V Chapter 1[1],
– having regard to the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, adopted and signed in Minsk on 12 February 2015, and endorsed as a whole by UN Security Council resolution 2202 (2015) of 17 February 2015,
– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/1792 of 11 October 2021 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine[2],
– having regard to the statement of the Spokesperson of the European External Action Service of 24 November 2021 on the Russian decree on simplified trade measures in violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,
– having regard to the joint statement of 12 October 2021 of Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Council President, Charles Michel, and Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, following the 23rd EU-Ukraine Summit,
– having regard to the G7 Foreign Ministers’ statement of 12 December 2021 on Russia and Ukraine,
– having regard to the joint statement of the United States and Germany on support for Ukraine, European energy security and our climate goals, released by President Biden and Chancellor Merkel on 21 July 2021,
– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Russia is engaging in an unprecedented build-up of its military forces on the Ukrainian border, in occupied Donbas and in illegally annexed Crimea, including large-scale troop movements;
B. whereas it has been more than six years since the adoption of the Minsk Agreements and more than seven years since the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula by the Russian Federation and the start of the war in Ukraine; whereas more than 14 000 people have lost their lives during the ongoing conflict;
C. whereas Russia is implementing disinformation campaigns and accusing Ukraine and NATO of provocation; whereas President Putin and former President Medvedev are personally upholding a false narrative that denies the existence of Ukrainian statehood and the identity of the Ukrainian people;
D. whereas the US has shared intelligence with its NATO allies about a possible imminent Russian attack on Ukraine; whereas NATO countries have voiced concerns over Russian military deployments along the Ukrainian border and have called for a de-escalation of tensions; whereas Aliaksandr Lukashenka has announced full-scale support for Russia in the event of military action against Ukraine;
E. whereas President Putin signed a decree on 15 November 2021 on simplified trade rules to allow access measures to increase access of goods to and from the temporarily non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine; whereas this unilateral measure aims to further separate these areas from Ukraine, in contravention of the objectives of the Minsk Agreements;
1. Fully supports Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders; condemns the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and its direct and indirect involvement in armed conflicts in eastern Ukraine, as well as human rights violations carried out on these territories and the passportisation of citizens in occupied Donbas and Crimea;
2. Calls on Russia to immediately cease its provocations on the Ukrainian border, which have a destabilising effect for the whole region and beyond, to stop all measures that further aggravate the conflict and to de-escalate tensions in line with its international obligations, such as the OSCE principles and commitments on transparency of military movements and the Vienna Document;
3. Emphasises that in order to deter any attack on Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the EU and its Member States must communicate very clearly to Russia and President Putin that the price for such a violation of international law will be severe; welcomes President Von der Leyen’s promise that the EU will respond to any further acts of aggression by scaling-up and expanding existing sanctions;
4. Stresses thus the need for a comprehensive plan of action for the EU concerning deterrence, clear red lines and countermeasures if the situation escalates; calls on the Member States to coordinate better among themselves and forge a common EU approach instead of pursuing various national initiatives;
5. Underlines the need for a unified approach on deterrence by the EU and its partners; underlines that all action should be taken in coordination with Ukraine and EU allies; welcomes the recent G7 Foreign Ministers’ statement on Russia and Ukraine, announcing cooperation on a ‘common and comprehensive response’;
6. Demands that countermeasures must include stopping all imports of oil and gas from Russia to the EU, targeting other important sectors of the Russian economy, blocking Russian companies’ access to global capital markets, introducing further targeted restrictive measures (such as the freezing of assets and denial of entry into the EU) aimed at Russian oligarchs and those close to the President, prohibiting the purchase of Russian sovereign debt on the secondary market, disrupting the financing of intelligence services and the military and excluding Russia from the SWIFT payment system;
7. Reiterates that the EU and Ukraine should therefore reduce dependence on Russian energy and calls for the EU to show stronger energy solidarity with Ukraine, in accordance with the Association Agreement, by increasing interlinkages of energy infrastructures; urges the use of measures outlined in the US-German joint statement of 21 July 2021 as a basis for further action; urges the EU institutions and all Member States to cancel and prevent the use of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and insists that the construction of controversial Rosatom-built nuclear power plants be stopped;
8. Calls for the EU and the Member States to establish a Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Mechanism and consistently implement and enforce existing anti-money laundering rules and create greater transparency, especially in relation to the funds deposited or spent in the EU by the Russian elite;
9. Emphasises the importance of the Minsk Agreements, including the end of military activities in eastern Ukraine, and urges all sides to engage constructively with the Normandy Process and the Trilateral Contact Group; calls for a political solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and a stronger role for the EU in peaceful conflict resolution; stresses the importance of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine and of it being able to continue its work beyond the current mandate, without any restrictions;
10. Urges the Member States to prepare and communicate to Ukraine a credible long-term perspective for EU accession; emphasises that any country’s choice of alliances must not be subject to a third country’s approval; calls for the EU and European allies to discuss long-term plans for the European security order with a view to dealing jointly with future military threats on the continent;
11. Supports the establishment and activities of the International Crimea Platform; deplores the fact that international organisations and human rights defenders are still denied access to Crimea, and decries the growing militarisation of the peninsula by the Russian Federation;
12. Calls on Russia to revoke its decree of 15 November 2021, as it violates Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including with regard to customs control, and could increase tensions and prolong the status quo, while impeding the future reintegration process;
13. Asks the Commission, the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to strengthen the EU’s resilience and countermeasure capabilities against hybrid interventions, improve cooperation with partners, in particular on disinformation, and enhance capabilities aimed at peaceful conflict resolution, with a special focus on the situation of women and vulnerable groups in conflicts;
14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, NATO, the OSCE, the President, Government and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and the President, Government and the State Duma of the Russian Federation.