The European Parliament's Defense and Security Committee stated on Monday, February 9, that it is necessary to urgently expand military aid to Ukraine. Committee representatives stated that despite reports of various negotiations in Kyiv on February 5-6, there were no signs of a ceasefire in the square.
Committee Chair Mari-Agnes Shtrak-Simmermann stated that during her visit to Kyiv, the delegation witnessed Russian missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, civilian casualties, and the risk of freezing thousands facing heating and power outages. His point is clear: "While we support progress in peace negotiations, we cannot simply hope for peace - we must act now and allow Ukraine to achieve peace through force."
The visit of MEPs to Kyiv was also carried out ahead of the European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg. At the meeting on Wednesday, February 11, it was noted that the European Union plans to vote on the issue of allocating a loan to Ukraine in the amount of 90 billion euros.
During the visit, the delegation met with representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine and the government, the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada, as well as representatives of civil society and structures related to the defense industry. The European Parliament's press release also stated that "EU citizens are calling for support for Ukraine and strengthening the European defense."
The press release also emphasizes Ukraine's interest in participating in EU defense initiatives. In particular, such areas as the European Defense Industry Program (EDIP) and the "Security for Europe" (SAFE) instrument are mentioned. The deputies expressed their readiness to use legislative and budgetary opportunities to increase the European defense potential and bring the Ukrainian defense industry closer to and integrate with the EU defense system.
In short, the committee's position is this: the situation is not in the "let's see" mode, but at the "let's act now" stage. There are negotiations - but there is reality at the front and in the cities. Therefore, the issue of strengthening aid to Ukraine is becoming even more prominent on the European agenda.
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