Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the European Parliament /EUCO Summit
Quote from Terry Reintke
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to attend an extraordinary meeting in the European Parliament today (Thursday, 9 February). Afterwards, the EU Heads of State and Government will receive the Ukrainian President for their summit meeting. Terry Reintke, President of the Greens/EFA Group, will be present at the EUCO summit from around 6pm.
Terry Reintke MEP, Greens/EFA Group President, comments:
"It is a special honour to receive President Zelenskiy in the European Parliament. We stand firmly by Ukraine in its defence against the Russian aggressor. Ukraine belongs in the European family and we welcome that the EU has opened our doors to Ukraine and given a clear perspective for accession. Ukraine has already achieved a lot in the fight against corruption and should continue on the path of reforms it embarked on before the war.
“On migration and refugees, the shift to the right in the debate is absolutely unacceptable. The draft summit conclusions read like a blueprint for Fortress Europe. Some in the EU appear to have abandoned any notions of human rights in migration policy.
“Far-right rhetoric on deterrence and fences coming from the centre-right is seriously concerning. Human rights standards and international law are being replaced by clumsy isolationist thinking.
“The European Union didn't get the Nobel Prize for building walls and fences and pushing back boats with migrants. We share the goal of orderly border management, but not at the expense of standards of international law. We need a humanitarian migration policy with safe and legal ways of immigrating to the EU, and the decriminalisation of sea rescue, as well as a fair distribution of refugees from border countries.
“The green transformation is the key to the EU’s future. Those who block the ambitions of the Green Deal are putting European competitiveness at risk. Businesses are calling out for clear guidelines to shape the green industrial transformation. Massive investments in renewables will promote European innovation, competitiveness, and create sustainable jobs, while protecting the planet. We call for a new investment fund based on common debt and state aid for companies that respect high social and environmental standards. This is how we can achieve equal opportunities for all Member States and safeguard the integrity of the internal market."
