Pittella: “The EU must enforce a collective and strict ban on arms sale to Russia with immediate effect”

Reacting to the conclusions on Ukraine adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council yesterday and in view of the presentation of the European Commission work on possible EU actions against Russia scheduled for tomorrow, S&D Group President Gianni Pittella said:
 
"We urge and firmly ask the European Commission to propose a collective and strict ban on arms sales to Russia with immediate effect. Russia must be convinced to contribute to a peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine. The European Union needs to demonstrate unity and determination to achieve this. The tragic downing of the Malaysian aircraft in Eastern Ukraine must be a game-changer, but in a positive sense.
 
“Sanctions themselves should not, however, be the only goal. Our common objective is to stop war and the suffering of innocent people in our immediate neighbourhood. We will not tolerate any attempt to undermine the Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty".

S&D Group vice-president responsible for foreign affairs, Knut Fleckenstein, said:
 
"In parallel, we need to work on the Ukrainian side. Here, there is also a contradiction: part of EU assistance to Ukraine currently serves to repay interests and bills to EU member states and others. The S&D Group proposes a moratorium on such payments until the Ukrainian economy stabilizes. This would be an additional concrete measure to support Ukraine.
 
"Furthermore, we need to encourage the Ukrainians to step up reconciliation efforts. An inclusive national dialogue that takes into account legitimate concerns of local communities and minorities is crucial in this respect."
 
S&D Group vice-president Victor Boştinaru added:
 
"Looking at a broader picture, we should not forget Moldova and Georgia - partners that already face Russian retaliatory measures for having signed Association Agreements with the EU. We need to support them and demonstrate our solidarity with tangible measures including the trade and energy fields. Russia needs to respect the sovereign decisions of these independent countries.”