EU and Ukraine step up pressure on Russia

The EU and Volodymyr Zelensky have joined forces in a fresh attempt to being peace to war-torn Ukraine.

Ahead of a key summit on Ukraine this week, they issued a strongly worded statement.

It reads: “We are all united in our desire for a just and lasting peace, deserved by the people of Ukraine.

“We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.

“Russia’s stalling tactics have shown time and time again that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace. We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction.”

It goes on: “Therefore we are clear that Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position - before, during, and after any ceasefire. We must ramp up the pressure on Russia’s economy and its defence industry, until Putin is ready to make peace. We are developing measures to use the full value of Russia’s immobilised sovereign assets so that Ukraine has the resources it needs.”

It is signed by President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Starmer, Chancellor Merz, President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Prime Minister Tusk, President von der Leyen, President Costa, Prime Minister Støre, President Stubb and Prime Minister Frederiksen on Peace for Ukraine.

EU leaders will meet later this week in the European Council and in the Coalition of the Willing format to discuss “how to take this work forward and to further support Ukraine.”

Elsewhere, EP president President Roberta Metsola opened the 20-23 October plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday.

On Wednesday, there will be council and Commission statements on “the need for a united support to Ukraine and for a just and durable peace concluded on Ukraine's terms, with Europeans and without surrendering to Vladimir Putin's conditions ahead of the foreseen Budapest summit.”

Meanwhile, Russian assets for Ukraine reconstruction / Russian energy imports are also on the EP agenda this week.

 Using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction will be the subject of a debate with Commission and Council representatives later on Tuesday. On Wednesday, MEPs, the Commission, and the Danish Council Presidency will discuss ending all energy imports from Russia and closing loopholes enabling imports via non-EU countries.

The ERR group says that detaching the EU from energy dependence on Russia is vital.
A statement said, “Even before Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia used energy supplies as a weapon of diplomatic coercion: three years of full-scale war have subsequently emphasised the urgent need to detach Europe permanently from supplies of oil and gas from Russia. “

The ECR Group says it is “resolutely committed” to achieving a permanent detachment from Russian energy imports, while at the same time “making our approach to Russia part of a broader reappraisal of EU energy policy.”

It adds, “The EU needs to recalibrate climate and energy policies with realism and pragmatism instead of being bound by ideology, and in this respect, technological neutrality is an essential element of the future energy security of the EU.

“The Union’s energy mix should be as broad as possible, encompassing renewables but also nuclear power.”

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