Senior Members of the European Parliament have warned that no peace in Ukraine can be negotiated without the full participation of Ukraine’s democratically elected leadership and the support of its people.
The statement, issued on Wednesday by the Chairs of key parliamentary committees and delegations, comes ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15.
The signatories, including David McAllister, Pekka Toveri, Brando Benifei, Ville Niinistö, Michael Gahler, Michał Szczerba and Sandra Kalniete, welcomed efforts aimed at achieving a just and sustainable peace grounded in international law and the UN Charter, and called for the prosecution of those responsible for war crimes.
They stressed that any settlement undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty or rewarding Russia’s aggression would endanger the security of Europe.
The MEPs underscored that sovereignty and territorial integrity are fundamental to European and global stability, warning that if Russia succeeds in altering Ukraine’s borders by force, no country’s borders can be considered secure.
They insisted peace talks must be preceded by an unconditional ceasefire and criticised what they described as Russia’s “disingenuous” proposals, which they said were aimed at prolonging the conflict.
The statement urged the EU and its member states to remain united and steadfast in their political, economic, military and humanitarian support for Ukraine until a comprehensive, just and lasting peace is achieved in full accordance with international law and the aspirations of the Ukrainian people.
