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 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 to undermine Europe, and reconfirms the dangerous malign behaviour of the Russian government.

An attack with the involvement of Russian GRU intelligence services on European citizens in any of the EU Member States should be viewed as a serious attack 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 the Member States and the Council to also show their solidarity by adopting a strong, common and concrete action 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 and Raffaele Fitto, Co-chairmen ECR Group