Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun appealed to European politicians to ban imports of Russian oil and gas with immediate effect, while also calling for a no-fly zone over her country. The MP, who represents the liberal, pro-European Holos part, said that the survival of millions of people depended on these decisions.
Sovsun was addressing a seminar organised by the European Parliament on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Sharing harrowing stories from her home country, Sovsun said that she was very supportive of the European project, but she had expected an even stronger reaction to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. She warned Europe that unless the Russian President is stopped from his actions in Ukraine, Poland will be next.
EP President Roberta Metsola expressed herself in support of such ban, arguing that “we cannot continue to finance this war with our payments”. Metsola revealed “in the coming hours and days” there should be news on the energy issue, while also calling for “increased sanctions” against the Russian government.
Maria Mezentseva, a member of the governing “Servant of the People” party. who is also the Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly said that millions of people in Ukraine are now without food, water and electricity. She appealed to the European institutions to “give (Ukrainians) bright light ahead”.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze of the European Solidarity argued that the situation was not simply one which placed Russia against Ukraine. “We have said over the last few years that this war is not just against us,” she insisted.
The seminar, which was also addressed by President Roberta Metsola, discussed a number of EU initiatives promoting gender equality, but proceedings were inevitably dominated by the developments in Eastern Europe.
