Ukrainian diplomat in EU warns of “blackout” and asks for ammunition

The coordinator of Ukraine’s mission to the European Union said this Thursday that Russian attacks on electrical installations are close to a blackout and called on Estonia to provide assistance and adopt a munitions production plan.

“We need new solutions to get more weapons and ammunition, and in this context we support the Estonian initiative to use a financial mechanism that can speed up the production of ammunition,” Chentsov Vsevolod said during a debate in Strasbourg about the invasion of Ukraine.

The meeting, dedicated to the “year of war against Ukraine”, was attended by the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, the German David McAllister and the Frenchwoman Nathalie Loizeau, chairman of the subcommittee on security and defense.

According to the Ukrainian diplomat, Kyiv urgently needs to approve a program for the production of standard ammunition used by the artillery of the countries of the Atlantic Alliance (caliber 155 millimeters).

“The goal, as far as I know, is the production of one million 155 mm ammunition over the next six months, and this requires a lot of resources. We are talking about many millions of euros, and it would be satisfactory if this measure were adopted. , at the next meeting of EU foreign ministers, next week,” he said.

Chentsov Vsevolod warned that strikes on electrical installations are currently putting parts of Ukraine in a situation “close to blackout” (“blackout”), insisting on the supply of weapons capable of countering the latest Russian offensive launched. in February last year.

On the other hand, the coordinator of Ukraine’s mission to the EU called for a new package of sanctions “that could hit hard” the Russian economy in sectors such as nuclear energy.

“What is happening at the Zaporozhye hydroelectric power station (Ukrainian power plant occupied by Russian troops) is unacceptable. There should be a clear message from Russian industry,” Vsevolod said.

This Thursday, the European Parliament will vote on a resolution on Ukraine, which was supported by MEPs from the EPP, consisting of socialists and democrats, conservatives and reformists and greens.

“Some aspects need to be strengthened,” said David McAllister (EPP, Germany), chairman of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

“We ask the European Commission and member states, if the conditions are met, to start negotiations with Kiev this year,” he said, referring to the process of Ukraine’s integration into the European market.

McAllister also said the resolution would create a special court for crimes committed by “Vladimir Putin and Russian military leaders,” citing the need for new sanctions against countries that still maintain trade relations with Moscow.

The member of the European People’s Party stressed that the new package of sanctions (paragraph 21) should be applied against Belarus and other countries that support Russia from a military point of view, such as Iran and North Korea, referring to the supply of technology from the People’s Republic of China to the Russian government and “third countries that have relations with Moscow.

“We must ensure that gas, for example, from Azerbaijan, is not imported into Russia,” he said, referring to “third countries” that bypass the measures and should be subject to sanctions.

The President of the subcommittee on security and defense of France, Nathalie Loizeau, said that the European Union “is not at war with Russia” and does not send troops to Ukraine, but insists on taking measures to support the military-industrial complex in the countries of the European Union. Union.

“We need to do more in the defense sector and accelerate the production and delivery of weapons and ammunition, and for this we need to create more incentives. We are working directly in some member countries to encourage banking institutions to finance the defense industry,” Loizeau said, having received support from the German MEP.

The debate in Strasbourg continued with another panel on aspects taken to minimize the impact of the war on the EU economy, namely in the energy sector.

The Chairman of the Committee for Industry, Research and Energy Cristian-Silviu Busoi (EPP, Romania) and MEP Margarida Markes (Socialists and Democrats), Vice-President of the Committee for Budgets took part. “One of the priorities is to integrate Portugal and Spain into the European energy market. This is a priority and that is why interconnections are very important,” said Margarida Markes, referring to the economic measures that need to be taken to mitigate the consequences of the war.

The MP also defended the special attention to the budgets for the support that European countries provide to Ukrainian war refugees.