The coordinator of Ukraine’s mission to the European Union said on Wednesday that Russian attacks on electrical installations are on the verge of triggering a “blackout”, and urged help and the approval of Estonia’s production plan of ammunition.
“We need new solutions to get more weapons and ammunition and in this context we support Estonia’s initiative to implement a financial mechanism that can accelerate the production of ammunition”said Vsevolod Chentsov during a debate in Strasbourg on the invasion of Ukraine.
The meeting on “a year of war against Ukraine” was attended by the chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, the German David Mcallister and the French Nathalie Loiseau, chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defense.
According to the Ukrainian diplomat, Kiev urgently needs to approve the manufacturing program for the standard ammunition used by the artillery of the countries of the Atlantic Alliance (caliber 155 millimeters).
“The aim, as far as I know, is to produce one million 155mm ammunition in the next six months and that requires huge resources. We are talking about many millions of euros and it would be gratifying if this measure were adopted.” , at the next meeting of the European Union’s foreign ministers next week”he claimed.
Khentsov Vsevolod warned that currently attacks on electrical installations are putting parts of Ukraine “close to ‘blackout’ (‘blackout’)”, and urged the supply of weapons capable of carrying out the final offensive of Russia in February last year.
On the other hand, the coordinator of the Ukrainian mission to the EU insisted on the approval of the new sanctions package and “that the Russian economy can be strongly affected” in sectors such as nuclear energy.
“What is happening in the Zaporijia power station (Ukrainian power station occupied by Russian troops) is unacceptable. The message to the Russian industrial sector must be clear”said Vsevolod.
The European Parliament is voting today on a resolution on Ukraine supported by MEPs from the EPP of Socialists and Democrats, Conservatives and Reformists and Greens.
“Some aspects need to be strengthened,” said David Mcallister (EPP, Germany), chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs
“We ask the European Commission and Member States, if the conditions are met, to start negotiations with Kiev later this year”he said, referring to Ukraine’s integration process into the European market.
Macallister also said the resolution provides for the creation of a special court for crimes committed “by Vladimir Putin and Russian military leaders”, citing the need to introduce new sanctions against countries that still maintain trade ties with Moscow.
The member of the European People’s Party stressed that the new package of sanctions (item 21) should be applied against Belarus and other countries that support Russia from a military point of view, such as Iran and North Korea, referring to the supply of technology from the People’s Republic China to the Russian government and “to third countries” that have relations with Moscow.
‘We must ensure that gas from Azerbaijan, for example, is not imported by Russia’he said, referring to “third countries” that are circumventing the measures and should be penalized.
France’s Nathalie Loiseau, chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Security and Defense, said the European Union “is not at war with Russia” nor is it sending troops to Ukraine, but urged approval of support measures in the countries’ defense industry sector of the European Union. Union.
“We need to do more in the defense industry and accelerate the production and supply of arms and ammunition, and more incentives need to be built in for that. We are working directly in some Member States to encourage banking institutions to finance the defense industry”said Loiseau supported by the German MEP.
The debate in Strasbourg continued in another panel dealing with the aspects adopted to minimize the impact of the war on the European Union’s economy, particularly in the energy sector.
The Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, Cristian-Silviu Busoi (EPP, Romania) and Portuguese MEP Margarida Marques (Socialists and Democrats), Vice-Chair of the Committee on Budgets, took part.
“One of the priorities is the integration of Portugal and Spain into the European energy market. This is a priority and therefore interconnections are very important”said Margarida Marques, referring to the economic measures that must be taken to mitigate the effects of the war.
The MEP also defended special attention to budgets for support from European countries to Ukrainian war refugees.
Source: DN
