During the EP Plenary session (13-16/02) in Strasbourg, Ian BORG, Maltese Presidency of the EU, Sandra KALNIETE (EPP, LV), Victor BOSTINARU (S&amp;D, RO), Anna Elzbieta FOTYGA (ECR, PL), Johannes Cornelis van BAALEN (ALDE, NL), Helmut SCHOLZ (GUE/NGL, DE), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE) express themselves on the deterioration of the situation in Eastern Ukraine

Deterioration of the situation in Eastern Ukraine: extracts from the debate

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SOUNDBITE (English), Ian BORG, Maltese Presidency of the EU, Ukraine remains at the top of our agenda, because the illegal annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine challenge the foundations of or international system and the security of our continent. But also and foremost, because we must urgently stop the suffering of our Ukrainian friends.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ian BORG, Maltese Presidency of the EU, <p>Next week, Commissioner STYLLIANIDES will travel close to the contact line and deliver a strong message of European support to the local population. We should all put pressure on the relevant actors to grant access to areas not under the control of the government, and ensure the free movement of goods and people across the contact line.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra KALNIETE (EPP, LV), <p>Make no mistake, Putin's ambition is not only to control Ukraine. His ambition is to make the EU and NATO impotent, irrelevant and insolvent. The war against Ukraine is a step towards this goal and a test for Europe's unity and Transatlantic resolve.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Victor BO&#350;TINARU (S&amp;D, RO), Ukraine must regain full control over its territory and over its borders and the OSCE monitors must be allowed all over the territory. This will allow the decentralisation to finally take place, as well as the official elections in Eastern Ukraine as foreseen by the Minsk agreement.

SOUNDBITE (English), Anna El&#380;bieta FOTYGA (ECR, PL), Despite our efforts, Putin's regime tends to continue its vicious game, the situation both in Crimea and Eastern part tends to deteriorate. We have not only to stand by Ukraine, calibrate the attitude vis-a-vis Russia and re-assess the effectiveness of so-called selective engagement policy vis-a-vis this country.

SOUNDBITE (English), Johannes Cornelis van BAALEN (ALDE, NL), We need the Association Agreement. Ia m happy that recently the Dutch government tabled again the introductory bill for this Association Agreement in the second chamber of the Dutch parliament, and after that it will be sent to the Senate. So I hope that this will be completed in the foreseeable future, that means maybe two or three months.

SOUNDBITE (German), Helmut SCHOLZ (GUE/NGL, DE), There is no sensible alternative to Minsk II, given the fresh escalation that we are very concerned about, that we need to put an end to. We really do need to address the root causes of a possible failure of Minsk II.

SOUNDBITE (German), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE), Ever since Avdivka I think we all know that we should actually be talking about increasing the sanctions, and in any case we should be talking about Minsk. Minks should achieve peace, or at least the lack of war. But how can you speak of this if you have an occupying force who denies that is actually an occupying force. How can you possibly achieve peace with this party? A true Minsk solution, this is what we owe the Ukrainians, whether they are perceiving the EU as a third front or as a partnership, that is really in our hands, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Deterioration of the situation in Eastern Ukraine: extracts from the debate

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