European Parliament leaders call for solidarity over Russian attack in the Czech Republic

We are shocked by the recent reports of the involvement of Russian GRU intelligence services in the 2014 explosion of an arms depot in the Czech Republic, in which two Czech citizens were killed. The same GRU agents are linked to the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the United Kingdom in 2018. This is another attack by people affiliated to the Russian state on a sovereign territory in the European Union. It demonstrates the disturbing lengths that Russia will go to undermine Europe, and reconfirmed the dangerous and malign behaviours of the Russian government.

An attack with the involvement of Russian GRU intelligence services on European citizens in any of the EU's Member States must be viewed as a serious assault on the entire EU. This is an unacceptable act of hostility. Today, we stand in full solidarity with the Czech Republic and we call on all Member States and the European Council to also show their solidarity by adopting strong, common and concrete measures towards Russia in response to this attack.

Manfred Weber, President EPP Group
Iratxe García-Perez, President S&D Group
Dacian Cioloș, President Renew Europe Group
Philippe Lamberts and Ska Keller, Co-Presidents The Greens/EFA Group
Ryszard Legutko & Raffaele Fitto, Co-Chairmen ECR Group