The European Parliament adopts a resolution demanding the EU to “work towards the start of the accession negotiations”

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday, February 2, calling on the EU to work towards the start of the negotiations on Ukraine’s accession, according to the press release published on the EP’s website.

The text was adopted with 489 votes in favour, 36 against with 49 abstentions.

In the resolution, the European Parliament detailed its expectations for the upcoming summit between EU and Ukrainian political leaders in Kyiv on 3 February. According to the resolution, the European Parliament demands the EU to “work towards the start of the accession negotiations and to support a roadmap outlining the next steps to enable Ukraine’s accession to the EU single market”.

In the resolution, the Parliament calls on the EU member states to increase and accelerate their military assistance to Kyiv, in particular the provision of weapons, but also essential political, economic, infrastructural, financial and humanitarian support.

The members of the European Parliaments also called on leaders at the forthcoming EU-Ukraine summit to prioritise a comprehensive recovery package for Ukraine. This package must focus on relief, reconstruction and recovery in the short-, medium- and long-term. Support would further help encourage economic growth in Ukraine after the war. The document also reiterated Parliament’s call for the use of frozen Russian assets to finance post-war reconstruction.

MEPs called on member states to adopt a tenth package of sanctions against Moscow as soon as possible, targeting Lukoil and Rosatom, which are still present on the EU market and blacklisting officials involved in forced deportations of Ukrainians and the administration of fake referenda on occupied Ukrainian territory.

The European Parliament also called for full embargo on EU imports of fossil fuels and uranium from Russia, and for the Nord Stream 1 and 1 gas pipelines to be completely abandoned.

On February 2, President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell arrived in Kyiv. The first intergovernmental consultations between Ukraine and the European Commission took place on Thursday.

On Friday, February 3, Kyiv will host the EU-Ukraine Summit. Ukraine is preparing to present its progress in all seven recommendations of the European Commission and expects positive assessment of the EU, particularly regarding the prospect of the earliest possible start of the accession negotiations.

New Voice