The largest faction of the European Parliament, European People's Party (EPP), advocated expanding sanctions against Russia, including disabling the country from SWIFT and stopping the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project amid Russian aggression against Ukraine, human rights violations and destabilization of international order.
According to the EPP statement, it is European duty to support Ukraine. Therefore, before the beginning of this week’s plenary session the EPP Group in the European Parliament requested a parliamentary debate in next week’s plenary session on the current Russian military build-up at the Ukrainian border.
“It is Europe’s collective duty to reaffirm our support for Ukraine and we would like to hear from the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council on how the European Union intends to do it,” the EPP statement reads.
According to Sandra Kalniete MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group responsible for foreign affairs, Russia shoul pay the price for its actions.
“Russia has amassed more than 40,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. 26 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed this year alone. The situation is deteriorating and is a serious and growing threat to European stability and security as well as to Ukrainian sovereignty”, Kalniete said, adding that the “Russian regime will have to pay the price for its aggression against Ukraine, as well as for the way it is treating Alexei Navalny. We must see the Russian Government for what it is - a threatened, insecure dictatorship that keeps its power through aggression against its neighbours and its political opponents. We have seen this precise scenario played out before. We cannot afford to see it happen again.”
The EPP group proposed not only to stop the construction of Nord Stream 2 but also to disconnect Russia from SWIFT, freezing the accounts of Russian oligarchs and banning them from entering the EU. Furthermore, EPP group calls for immediate stopping of importof Russian oil and gas.
It's worth noting that on Wednesday, April 28, at the initiative of the EPP, the European Parliament will discuss and then vote in favor of a resolution that condemns the increase of Russian military power around Ukraine, as well as other violations carried out by Russia.