European Parliament urges to end restrictions on Ukraine's strikes against Russia
The European Parliament representatives passed a resolution urging EU member countries to maintain their military aid to Ukraine and to remove limitations on deploying Western weapons for attacks on Russian territory.
This is reported on the European Parliament's website.
According to the voting results:
- 425 deputies supported the resolution;
- 131 – opposed;
- 63 – abstained.
Based on the resolution, Ukraine is unable to exercise its right to self-defense fully. It remains vulnerable to attacks on its population and infrastructure if current restrictions are not lifted.
In addition, the parliament emphasized that the shortage of ammunition and weapons and restrictions on their use can undermine the support efforts made so far.
The MPs once again called on the EU to fulfill its 2023 promise to supply 1 million ammunition, as well as to speed up:
- supply of weapons,
- air defense systems (ADF),
- Taurus cruise missiles.
"They [deputies – ed.] also restate their position that all EU countries and NATO allies should collectively and individually commit to annual military support for Ukraine militarily of no less than 0.25% of their GDP," the message reads.
The resolution also states that sanction restrictions against the Russian Federation, Belarus, third countries, and organizations that supply Russia with military technology and dual-use goods should be maintained.
In addition, sanctions should be strengthened against Iran and North Korea, which support the enemy in the military sphere, as well as Chinese individuals and organizations, as a means of combating the circumvention of restrictions.
"They also view accountability for Russian war crimes and reparations and other payments by Moscow as essential aspects of any solution. To this end, MEPs want the EU and like-minded partners to establish a sound legal regime for confiscating Russian state-owned assets frozen by the EU as part of efforts to compensate Ukraine for the massive damage it has suffered," the European Parliament writes.
It is worth mentioning that Ukraine's allies have once again begun discussing the possibility of lifting restrictions on Ukraine's armed forces to strike Russian territory with transferred weapons.
Meanwhile, The Guardian wrote that the United States of America and Britain have already taken the appropriate decision but are not announcing it. There is no official confirmation of the rumors.
For reference:
Ukraine is currently asking its Western partners for permission to use long-range weapons to strike military targets deep within Russian territory.
Generals, diplomats, and civil society leaders have signed an open letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging them to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with Western-supplied long-range weapons.
A group of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives has also called on the White House to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range American weapons, including ATACMS missiles, for strikes deep into Russian territory.
On September 10, President Biden hinted that the US may lift these restrictions.
It is worth adding that on September 14, the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, held talks with the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Keir Starmer, in the White House. Both leaders confirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. However, they did not agree on long-range strikes against Russia.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expressed support for Ukraine's use of long-range weapons against military targets in Russia, stating on August 13 that Canada fully backs this approach.
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