Sanctions against Ukrainian and Russian officials by Foreign Affairs Ministers
Date
17 Mar 2014
Sections
Europe's East
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, Elmar Brok MEP, and José Ignacio Salafranca Sanchez-Neyra MEP, the EPP Group Coordinator in the Foreign Affairs Committee, have issued a statement on the EU sanctions to be imposed on 21 Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Elmar Brok said: "The targeted sanctions against Russia now on the table are just the beginning for as long as Russia does not change its strategy of gradual escalation. The European Parliament, following the Conclusions of the European Council on March 6, already expressed its willingness last Thursday to see further economic measures if Russia continued to violate international law. These measures include an embargo on munitions and dual-use technologies as well as measures against Russian companies and their subsidiaries. I do believe, however, with good will from all sides, in the possibility to reinstate respect for international law in order to ensure freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity and to include the security interests of Russia. For this reason, Russia must be ready to quickly come to the negotiating table to contribute to an agreement without delay. A contact group of the OSCE and of the Budapest Memorandum involving the EU may be an example for this.”
Commenting on the outcome of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Mr Salafranca Sanchez-Neyra added:
“The solution to the crisis in Ukraine must be based on the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, in the framework of the Ukrainian Constitution as well as the strict adherence to international standards, the United Nations Charter and the OSCE Helsinki Final Act. Only working together through diplomatic processes, including direct discussions between the Governments of Ukraine and Russia, can we find a solution to the crisis.”
Salafranca Sanchez-Neyra also underlined the obligation to support the Ukrainian Government: “We must concentrate on giving a coordinated, coherent and efficient response in order to avoid an escalation of violence and to rectify the violation of the sovereignty of a state. We all, including the US, have to give a coordinated response to stop Russia’s actions, as the EU did today with these sanctions.”
The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 274 Members from 27 Member States.
MEP Contacts
Elmar BROK
BRU - Tel: +32 (0)2 2845323 Fax: +32 (0)2 2849323
STR - Tel: +33 (0)3 88 175323 Fax: +33 (0)3 88 179323
José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA
BRU - Tel: +32 (0)2 2845603 Fax: +32 (0)2 2849603
STR - Tel: +33 (0)3 88 175603 Fax: +33 (0)3 88 179603
Press Contacts
Maria Concepcion Lozano Martinez
Phone: +32 472 99 86 62
Lasse Böhm
Phone: +32 484 65 68 97
E-mail: lasse.boehm@europarl.europa.eu