Ukraine: Renew Europe calls for weapons restrictions to be lifted

Countries supplying defence systems to Ukraine must lift restrictions on the use of weapons in order to allow strikes on legitimate targets within Russia’s territory.

The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament reminds that these restrictions hamper the ability of Ukraine to effectively counter Russian attacks on its cities and infrastructure, which increase the already staggering civilian death toll.

In a resolution on continued financial, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States, today debated in plenary, we also call on the EU and its Member States to increase their military support to Ukraine so that the country can effectively defend itself. Insufficient or delayed deliveries of weapons and ammunition risk undermining the efforts made so far.

Therefore, Member States must significantly increase and accelerate their military support while boosting the capacity of their defence industries. The Parliament will adopt its resolution on Thursday.

Speaking during this morning’s debate, Renew Europe MEP, Helmut Brandstätter (NEOS, Austria), who negotiates the resolution on behalf of our group, said:

“The brave Ukrainians, our fellow Europeans, need our continued support. They need weapons to defend themselves and humanitarian aid to protect their people from the horrors of war. The Ukrainians are fighting not only for themselves but also for us, for the European peace order. Even in these difficult times, in the spirit of Ukrainian solidarity, they find the strength to offer help and support to the victims of the ongoing floods in Europe. That is what European solidarity is all about.”