As European leaders meet President Putin to push for peace in Ukraine, Parliament's Ukraine expert explains in what ways the EU is prepared to support Kiev.

Ukrainian crisis: European solutions

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/11966347/n004-0018-enx.srt

when Russia violated  Ukraine's territorial integrity.

Despite a flurry of sanctions,  Russia isn't blinking.

and Russian-backed rebels are looking to  annex off more parts of Eastern Ukraine.

World leaders are  desperately seeking a solution.

We spoke to the chair of the EU-Ukraine  parliamentary delegation, Andrej Plenković.

Mr Plenković, thank you for joining us on  EuroparlTV for this interview on Ukraine.

Obviously we know there is a worsening  situation in Ukraine, political deadlock.

The first question  comes from Philippe Grasset.

He's from Dedefensa.org.  This is his question.

In the last weeks, key information  on the USA’s active role

in what now looks like a coup in Ukraine  in February 2014

has been made public by President Obama.

Don’t you think this information should  encourage us to review the EU's policy

of holding Russia entirely responsible  for the crisis in the Ukraine?

Mr Plenković, do you think that  Mr Grasset has a point?

No. It's not the EU that has, contrary  to international law, annexed Crimea.

It's not the EU that is helping the separatists  in invading Eastern Ukraine in Donbass.

It's not the EU that is destabilising Ukraine.

The EU, on the contrary, has the objective  of Ukraine being a free, democratic, stable,

and territorially fully integral country  with the right to choose its own direction.

And that direction has been confirmed  through elections, twice,

But do you think there is any argument that  the US threw the first stone?

No, I don't think so. I think that the  Euromaidan was a bottom-up process,

and the fact that former President  Yanukovych refused in Vilnius

to sign the already agreed Association  Agreement was a huge change

and cause for desperation  for the majority of Ukrainians.

We saw the US President  and Angela Merkel

seeming to have different points of view  as to the path ahead.

Every country can decide autonomously  whether to export arms to Ukraine.

What the EU wants, of course,  is a political solution.

And further instability on our borders  is not in our interest,

but at the same time  it's not in Russia's interest either.

Therefore we will continue with our policy  of bringing Ukraine closer to the EU

especially through the implementation  of the Association Agreement.

Mr Plenković, another question for you,  from Alexey Pushkov.

It's a comment we got from the interview  yesterday. I'll just play this for you.

Russia maintains that the Donbass area  should be part of Ukraine.

7 million people are living there. We cannot  just decide their fate over their heads.

We have to find a solution  that will be acceptable to them.

is not something on which  Russia will change its position.

I'm very pleased that Mr Pushkov, who  spoke in the Foreign Affairs Committee,

clearly states that  Donbass is part of Ukraine.

We have said many times that  territorial integrity is crucial.

Therefore there are ways  to satisfy minority rights.

There are ways to ensure that  decentralisation,

participation in local, regional government,  can be assured. Even amnesty law.

I come from Croatia,  where we had a similar situation

They also manipulated  the minority in Croatia,

but we found ways  to ensure the rights of minorities.

but that does not mean federalisation  should be an objective for Ukraine.

On the contrary,  territorial integrity is essential.

When it comes to Crimea,  I would just like to say to Mr Pushkov:

How does Russia feel today about  the principles of international law?

We know that the referendum  was fabricated,

there was no real debate,  there was no real chance to hear the views.

And contrary to international law,  illegal annexation of Crimea

is certainly a coup  on the main values of the global order

that we have been creating  over the last 70 years.

It will remain completely unacceptable to  the European Union and its Member States.

Hello. Ukraine is in a process of reforming.

We are now working  to prepare the next stage

together with the IMF  and experts from the EU.

Today it is impossible  to be alone in this process,

keeping in mind aggression from  the Russian Federation.

What kind of support - humanitarian,  economic, expert, maybe military -

can we expect from the EU side this year?

In the last two years, more than €11 billion  have been allocated to Ukraine.

There is a special support group  of high-level officials

mirroring the ministries in Ukraine,  helping them on a daily basis.

There is a new tranche of €1.8 billion  of macrofinancial assistance.

We are working with our partners to help  them financially to sustain the war situation.

Now we have just one last question,  on the humanitarian aspect,

This is from UNICEF Ukraine.  Let me just play that for you.

Since the beginning of the conflict  at least 59 children have been killed.

UNICEF estimates that 1.7 million  children are in need of assistance.

We are grateful for the assistance so far.

What is the EU planning to do  in order to help children

affected by the conflict in the Ukraine?

All people in Ukraine are suffering,  especially those in war-affected areas.

And the consequences of war  on children are the most critical,

because these are the scars  that remain forever in their lives.

We are participating financially  in the efforts of various governmental

and non-governmental  international organisations.

For them to be able to at least see, let's say,  a normal, warm surrounding

in their critical early years  and in their development.

Mr Plenković, thank you for joining us.  -Thank you. My pleasure.