European Parliament calls for allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons against military targets in Russia
A new resolution by members of the European Parliament (MEPs) calls for European Union countries to lift restrictions that prevent Ukraine from deploying Western weapons against military targets in Russia.
The resolution, adopted on Thursday, 19 September, with 425 votes in favour, 131 against, and 63 abstentions, states that under current restrictions, Ukraine cannot fully exercise its right to self-defence and remains exposed to attacks on its population and infrastructure.
The European Parliament stressed that insufficient deliveries of ammunition and restrictions on their use "risks offsetting the impact of efforts made to date" and expressed concern over the reduction in bilateral military aid to Ukraine by EU countries.
"MEPs reiterate their call for member states to fulfil their March 2023 commitment to deliver one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine, and to accelerate the delivery of weapons, air defence systems and ammunition, including TAURUS missiles," the press release by the European Parliament reads.
The resolution also calls for EU member states to maintain and expand the EU Council’s sanctions against Russia, Belarus, and non-EU countries and organisations that provide military and dual-use technologies to Russia.
The MEPs condemned Iran’s recent transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia and called for strengthening sanctions against both Iran and North Korea for their involvement in supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine.
They stated they want to see more Chinese individuals and entities added to the EU sanctions list, as well as "tougher measures to systematically tackle the issue of sanctions circumvention by EU-based companies, third parties, and non-EU countries", according to the press release.
Calling on the EU and its member states to actively work towards achieving the broadest possible international support for Ukraine and identifying a peaceful solution to the war, MEPs say that any solution must be based on full respect for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also believe that accountability for Russian war crimes and reparations and other payments by Moscow are important aspects of any solution.
"To this end, MEPs want the EU and like-minded partners to establish a sound legal regime for the confiscation of Russian state-owned assets frozen by the EU as part of efforts to compensate Ukraine for the massive damage it has suffered," the press release concludes.
In a recent interview, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the decision to allow Ukraine to launch long-range strikes on Russian territory will depend on individual allies. He was sceptical regarding Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s threats that Ukraine’s use of Western weapons to strike targets in Russia would imply the direct involvement of Western countries in the war.
Ukraine wants to use long-range missiles to strike Russian military airfields and other military targets that Russia uses to carry out attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is convinced that allies should step up support for Kyiv despite Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threats, as he does nothing despite his words.