Meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Strasbourg on the state of EU-Russia relations. Exchange of views with&nbsp;Alexey PUSHKOV, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, welcomed by&nbsp;Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair of the AFET EP Committee, Statements by&nbsp;Cristian Dan PREDA (EPP, RO) and&nbsp;Richard Stuart HOWITT (S&amp;D, UK).

Committee on Foreign Affairs

exchange of views

EU - Russia (T)

BROK, Elmar (EPP, DE)

PREDA, Cristian Dan (EPP, RO)

HOWITT, Richard (S&D, UK)

State of EU-Russia relations: extracts from the exchange of views with Alexey PUSHKOV, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation - Committee on Foreign Affairs

Arrival of Alexey PUSHKOV and handshake with Elmar BROK, Chair of the AFET EP Committee, installation (5 shots)

SOUNDBITE (German), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE), Chair of the AFET EP Committee, "We consider that sanctions should remain in place if the Minsk agreement is not being respected, in particular by the separatist who are being supported by Russia, maybe our colleague Mr Pushkov has a different view on this; we are watching what's been happening in a lot of territories being won by the separatists and it's completely against the Minsk agreement. I'd also like to stress that this EP has always considered relations with Russia to be very important and that we want good relations; we would be happy to lift the sanctions if negotiations are undertaken, also including economic aspects. Some people want to pursue negotiations others don't, we insist that international law must be restored".

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexey PUSHKOV, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: "Although emotions are flying high and this is a time when accusations make politics, I still think that we should probably try to start anew".

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexey PUSHKOV, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: "It is a war that would go for a long time, on a low level of intensity, like it has been happening since beginning of September until the beginning of January, with outbursts of intensive fighting. But it can also be a war that can enlarge itself and start to really represent a very big problem for European security. What I have in mind is that the US are considering the possibility of sending arms to Ukraine. That's a dangerous development and I would agree with Fran&ccedil;ois Hollande who said that if this happens that could lead to a total war".

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexey PUSHKOV, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: "The question of the future status of this territory is absolutely key to the issue. We cannot just say that their fate should be decided only in Kiev. I'm afraid that the Ukraine crisis has become an international crisis, it does not just have domestic, internal solution".

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexey PUSHKOV, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: "The people who are living there, they have to have their say on what kind of status would they feel as guaranteeing their rights and their aspirations. We cannot decide this above their heads".

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexey PUSHKOV, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: "If the ceasefire on the Kiev side is guaranteed by the European powers, the European countries, by the EU, whatever. That could be an answer. On our side of course, Russia could exercise an influence on the insurgents so that this is a lasting ceasefire and not a ceasefire that would be violated very soon after it has been concluded".

SOUNDBITE (French), Cristian Dan PREDA (EPP, RO), "You are saying that we are no longer strategic partners, well, that's true, and the reason for that is that your regime is currently being militarised Mr Pushkov. You want war, don't you? Because if you don't want war, you just simply stop waging war! It's up to you, it's not up to Kiev or up to Europe to stop this war!".

SOUNDBITE (English), Richard Stuart HOWITT (S&amp;D, UK), "The tone of your address today is different from what we hear from Mr Putin, from Mr Lavrov, it's different from when we tune in Russian television and see what it's said about us in the EU; and I have to say that the tone that you've addressed us in today, is the tone that we would like to hear, one that is open to dialogue and to exploring ways forward, it's not the tone that we hear from Moscow: how can that be explained? how can that be improved?"