Following up on the restrictive measures adopted on 2 March in response to the involvement of Belarus in the unjustified and unprovoked Russian military aggression against Ukraine, and in view of the continued gravity of the situation, the Council today adopted additional sectoral measures targeting the Belarusian financial sector. With these additional sectoral sanctions, we are […]
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Ukraine: MEPs calls for stronger measures and solidarity
MEPs joined Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in calling for more EU defence, reduced energy dependence and solidarity with Ukraine in a plenary debate on 9 March. Opening the debate, Parliament President Roberta Metsola said: “We need to re-assess the European Union’s role in this new world. We need to boost our investment in defence […]
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War in Ukraine: MEPs outline their vision for Europe’s future security
In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, MEPs call for more EU defence efforts and further steps to cut Europe’s energy dependence on the Kremlin. On Wednesday morning, MEPs debated Europe’s role in a changing world and the continent’s security situation in the wake of the Russian aggression against Ukraine with Estonian Prime Minister […]
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New EU rules for more sustainable and ethical batteries
During the debate on Wednesday, MEPs underlined the crucial role that batteries have in the transition to a circular and climate-neutral economy and for the EU’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy. The draft legislation was adopted on Thursday with 584 votes in favour, 67 against and 40 abstentions. MEPs are in favour of overhauling the current legislation […]
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Geopolitical Europe is born
The tragedy of war has once again erupted in Europe. Russian forces have bombed homes, schools, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. The Kremlin propaganda machine has gone into overdrive in its effort to justify the unjustifiable. Ukrainians, for their part, are mounting a heroic defense of their country, driven by the leadership of President Volodymyr […]
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Spain and the US address the fight against cyber-attacks
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has held a meeting with the Deputy Secretary of State of the United States, Wendy Sherman, in which they discussed the crisis in Ukraine, the upcoming NATO summit in Madrid and bilateral relations between the two countries. Spain and the United States held Monday for the first […]
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Oksana Zabuzhko: ‘Ukrainians are fighting to free Europe from the spectre of totalitarianism’
On International Women’s Day, Ukrainian author Oksana Zabuzhko addressed the European Parliament on the plight of her fellow citizens under attack by Russia. Before Oksana Zabuzhko’s formal address in the Strasbourg hemicycle today at noon, EP President Metsola declared: ‘‘On this day, the word celebration is not really a word we could use. In Ukraine, […]
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Northern Dimension Policy: Joint Statement by the European Union, Iceland and Norway on suspending activities with Russia and Belarus
The European Union, Iceland and Norway have condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine. By its unprovoked and unjustified military actions, Russia is grossly violating international law and undermining European and global security and stability. We have also condemned the involvement of Belarus in this aggression against Ukraine. With the […]
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REPowerEU: Joint European action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy
The European Commission has today proposed an outline of a plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with gas, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This plan also outlines a series of measures to respond to rising energy prices in Europe and to replenish gas stocks for next winter. Europe has been facing increased energy […]
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