Military help might be needed to support Ukraine – EPP

The centre-right EPP Group has called for concrete help, including military, to support Ukraine in the face of possible aggression.

In a statement, the EPP said that unity and resolve was required in front of Russian confrontation. “The country, whose citizens went onto the streets and died fighting for the European future of their country, cannot be turned down by cold pragmatism. We expect the European Union to show its strength and commitment today to guarantee security by its own forces, as it did in the past when it was ready to deploy peace-keeping operations to guarantee the stability of its allies”, according Rasa Juknevičienė MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in charge of Foreign Affairs.

“Ukraine needs to be given concrete help, including military. Our sanctions should effectively prevent President Putin and his inner circle from using European freedoms and wealth as well as stopping their money prospering in our banks. In case of any escalation, Russia should be cut off from the SWIFT banking system. Putin has to face robust sanctions for the threats and ultimatums he has already made”, she reiterated.

The European Union is ready to impose “never-seen-before” economic sanctions on Russia if it attacks Ukraine, Denmark said on Monday, and EU foreign ministers said they would send a unified warning to Moscow. Additionally, in a show of support to Ukraine, the European Commission announced on Monday new financial assistance package, made of emergency loans and grants, to support Ukraine in the medium and long-term. “The EU stands by Ukraine. We are firm in our resolve”, EC President Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter.

The support consists of a n ew macro-financial assistance package of €1.2 billion and the doubling of bilateral assistance this year, with another €120 million.

East-West tensions have risen since Russia massed troops near Ukraine’s border, with Western countries fearing Moscow is preparing an invasion. Russia denies such plans.

Radosław Sikorski MEP, Head of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the United States argued that “the EU needs to have diplomacy and deterrence at the same time. Ukraine needs anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons. We could help it to gear up with those. We should target Putin’s money in Western banks and tax havens. We should also build on the existing schemes of joint purchases and create a gas union allowing the European Commission to buy gas on behalf of all Member States”, Sikorski concluded.

he ECR Group in the European Parliament, also echoed such calls, describing reports of Russian troops surrounding Ukraine on three sides are extremely concerning. On Twitter, the group said that “the free world must stop this new wave of Russian aggression on #Ukraine.”