The EU must launch a full set of sanctions targeting Russia and work on an international tribunal for crimes of aggression committed against Ukraine

The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament urges the EU to launch a full set of sanctions against all companies and individuals that still trade and deal in Russia or with Russian companies. We need a strong and coordinated response to the ongoing terrorist missile attacks launched by the Russian army against civilian residential buildings, like the one targeting an apartment complex in Dnipro, last Saturday.

During today’s plenary debate on strengthening sanctions against the Putin regime and military support to Ukraine, requested by Renew Europe, we reiterated our call to extend the sanctions to all 6000 Russian individuals indicated by the Navalny Foundation against corruption and to add all of them to the visa ban list and have their assets blocked.

The EU must also urgently come up with a concrete proposal to transfer the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank directly to the state of Ukraine, which would give them an immediate financial support of over 300 billion Euros.

Renew Europe MEP, Guy Verhofstadt (Open Vld, Belgium), who initiated a letter on this matter addressed to the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen and to the HR/VP Josep Borrell, said:

“It’s time for the EU to hit Putin and his cronies with the strongest sanctions. The Kremlin’s war machine must be left without funding, otherwise it won’t stop. These measures at EU level should be matched by the Member States with a determined and coordinated delivery of heavy weaponry, in particular Leopard 2 tanks, accompanied by a rapid training of Ukrainian military personnel in their use.”

Apart from a strong package of sanctions against Moscow, the EU must work with the international community on setting up a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and other Russian political and military leaders, and their Belarusian allies. EU should play a leading role in the efforts to hold them accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, while supporting the ongoing investigations into alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide committed on Ukrainian territory.

Renew Europe MEP, Petras Auštrevičius (Lithuanian Liberal Movement), shadow rapporteur on Ukraine, who negotiates on behalf of our group a resolution on this matter today debated in plenary, said:

“A special tribunal must gather evidence, assess, name and judge the perpetrators - the Russian political, military and economic leaders and their accomplices in Belarus. We must take urgent action to build a solid platform for international justice that will give the people of Ukraine hope of justice and protect future generations from hate and the repetition of similar crimes. Justice today means stability tomorrow.”