Ukraine
Geneva talks must be first step to stabilising Ukraine
Commenting in the context of the Geneva talks on the situation in Ukraine and following the adoption of a resolution on the situation in Ukraine by the European Parliament, Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms stated:
"Expectations are low for the Geneva talks but the stakes could not be higher for Ukraine. Everything possible should be done to stabilise the situation and enable the Ukrainian government to fully exercise its powers. All efforts should be made to prevent Ukraine becoming a dysfunctional state, along the lines of Bosnia, in which one community can use its veto power to paralyse the country. As a first step towards de-escalation, we call for an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from the border with Ukraine.
"If today's talks are unsuccessful, EU governments need to urgently convene an extraordinary Council with a view to preparing a third phase of sanctions against Russia. MEPs have today also called for the strengthening of the OSCE mission in Ukraine. This is essential if it is to play a meaningful role in monitoring the situation as regards human rights, atypical military activity and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine."
