The European Parliament calls on the EU to be prepared to adopt swift sanctions in the event that Moscow troops invade neighboring territory
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday rejected Russia’s request to exclude the possibility of Ukraine joining the Alliance and denounced the pressure actions exercised by Moscow. “We will not compromise the right of Ukrainians to choose their own path or ours to protect and defend all allies,” Stoltenberg said after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels.
The head of the Government of Kiev, for his part, declared that “since 2014, when the war began, Russia has pushed Ukraine towards NATO and today it is paving the difficult path of its accession.” Zelenski regretted the differences within the EU to agree on a common response. “We want a response format in the event of an escalation. We think most EU leaders understand it, but I’m not sure all leaders understand it in the same way, “he said.
Western countries accuse Russia of preparing a new invasion of Ukraine and of posting a considerable contingent on the border. On Wednesday the Kremlin handed over a list of security demands to the US Undersecretary of State for Europe, Karen Donfried, who traveled to Moscow. Donfried arrived in Brussels yesterday to present these proposals to NATO in a meeting with the ambassadors of the member countries. In 2008, an accession to Ukraine and Georgia was promised at a NATO summit in Bucharest, despite warnings from France and Germany. But the entry of a new member must be approved unanimously, recalled Stoltenberg. “The aggressor is Russia,” he said. “It was Russia that used military force against Ukraine, illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and continues to destabilize the east of the country,” he added.
Direct dialogue
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a direct dialogue with Washington on the fight with Kiev and seeks security guarantees as a condition for easing tensions. Both the United States and the European Union have warned that in the event of an invasion they will impose strong sanctions on Moscow.
In fact, from Brussels, the European Parliament on Thursday condemned the Russian military escalation on the border with Ukraine and demanded that the EU be ready to adopt new punishments. In their resolution, MEPs defended Kiev’s aspirations to join NATO and noted that “no nation should be subject to the approval of a third country when choosing its alliances.” The text counted with the vote against the French extreme right and the Left, among them the MEPs of United We Can.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military deployed on the front lines to fight against pro-Russian separatists believe that only joining NATO can protect their country, as Western warnings about sanctions will not stop the Kremlin’s ambitions.
Viktor, a 56-year-old infantry veteran stationed in the town of Pisky, very close to Donetsk, the ‘capital’ of the separatists, has no doubts. «Ukraine must join the Atlantic Alliance. If Russia launches an attack on us, we are going to have a difficult time holding out alone, “estimated the soldier, with a kalashnikov on his shoulder.
Also for Vladyslav, a young 22-year-old soldier, only a Ukraine entry into the Alliance can save the country. “If Russia, an aggressor, invades our territory, then the NATO family should help us with troops and weapons,” he said, protected by a khaki helmet and bulletproof vest. A 45-year-old colleague named Viktor considered that the various sanctions against Russia are useless because “they do not cause considerable damage to the Russian economy,” he said.
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