Newly elected Parliament reaffirms its strong support for Ukraine

On 17 July, the newly-elected European Parliament adopted a resolution setting out its first official position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

The resolution restates the continued support of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. It calls on the EU to maintain and extend its sanctions policy against Russia and Belarus, monitor and review its effectiveness and impact, and systematically tackle the issue of sanctions circumvention by EU-based companies, third parties, and third countries.

While restating their firm conviction that Russia must compensate financially for the destruction it has caused in Ukraine, MEPs welcomed recent EU efforts to direct revenues coming from frozen Russian assets to support the Ukrainian war effort. They also want a “sound legal regime for the confiscation of Russian state-owned assets frozen by the EU”, the resolution says.

MEPs called on the EU and member states to increase their military support for Ukraine. They also call on the European Commission to propose long-term financial assistance for the reconstruction of Ukraine, building on the experience of the newly established Ukraine Facility.

Parliament also condemned the recent visit of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Russia, which “does not represent the EU” and is “a blatant violation of the EU’s treaties and common foreign policy”. The text states that Hungary should face repercussions for these actions.

The resolution was adopted by 495 votes in favour, 137 against with 47 abstentions.

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Press release