Deliver air-defence and long-range missiles to Ukraine now

The EPP Group urges EU Member States to supply Patriot air-defence systems to Ukraine and calls on Germany to deliver Taurus long-range missiles.

As Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine enters its fifth year, the European Parliament today pays tribute to the thousands who have sacrificed their lives for a free and democratic Ukraine and in defence of our shared European values. Ukraine’s resilience demonstrates the strength of democracy in the face of tyranny. 

The EPP Group reaffirms its full support for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on international law and on terms determined by Ukraine and acceptable to its people. The Group backs credible security guarantees in line with art. 42.7 of the EU Treaty, welcomes the proposal for a multinational reassurance force for Ukraine, and calls on all EU Member States to consider how they can contribute.

“What Russia cannot achieve on the battlefield, it is trying to impose by destroying vital infrastructure. How do you get the war criminal in the Kremlin not only to stop bombing, but to come to the negotiating table in earnest? Only if he feels under greater military pressure and no longer believes that he will win this war,” said Michael Gahler MEP, the European Parliament’s lead MEP for Ukraine and the EPP Group Spokesman on Foreign Affairs. 

“I call on all Member States with air-defence capabilities, such as Patriot systems and the like, to supply them to Ukraine now. Countries like Germany, which have Taurus and other long-range missiles, should now finally deliver them to paralyse Russian weapons factories and stationary launch pads, military airports, and to make important transport infrastructure, bridges and railway junctions, unusable for military transport. Then the probability of an end to the war increases,” Gahler added.

The EPP Group stresses that Ukraine is free to choose its alliances. Any peace agreement must not put limitations on Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. It must be based on full respect for the principles of international law, accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression and must force Russia to bear the full cost of reparations. 

"Russia must pay for the massive destruction it has caused in Ukraine. Russia’s attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine are deliberate attacks on ordinary citizens. We can already see the same pattern, on a smaller scale, within the EU,” said Andrzej Halicki MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chair responsible for foreign affairs.

“We must never trust Putin; he lied to Europe a hundred times and will continue to lie. He will continue Russia’s hybrid aggression and cyber-attacks on Europe. To prevail, Europe’s response must be strong and united. Russian aggression must be deterred through the combined strength of EU Member States and European institutions,” insisted Halicki.