Kõne ENPA Ukraina raporti arutelul

Minu kõne tekst Ukraina praeguse olukorra raporti (koostajad Mailis Reps, liberaalide grupist ja Marietta de Pourbaix-Lundin, konservatiivide-kristlike demokraatide grupist) arutelul Euroopa Nõukogu parlamentaalsel assambleel, Strasbourg 09.04.2014

Speech for supporting the report by Ms Mailis Reps (ALDE) and Ms Marietta de Pourbaix-Lundin on the recent developments in Ukraine: threats to the functioning of democratic institutions.

Thank you, Madam President!

This is a very good report. I would like to summarise the most important facts.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is a fully legitimate body, elected in 2012 under the close observation of the Assembly. All its decisions must be respected by the Ukrainians, but also by all other nations.

Indeed Ukraine faces a Herculean task to carry out meaningful reforms. We must continue to give the country all assistance necessary to fulfil this task. However, at present, all reform efforts of the new legitimate government and the Ukrainian parliament are blocked in the country having to deal simultaneously with its real internal problems and the escalating assaults by Putin's Russia on its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We all know that President Putin won't stop before it has brought Ukraine to its knees... At least not until the rest of Europe doesn't stop him through serious sanctions.

Representing the most venerable Human Rights watchdog in Europe, we must in reality condemn and deplore Russia's actions. And we must hold accountable all those who have contributed and continue to contribute to the unlawful annexation of the Crimea, who encourage the deployment of Russian armed forces in the Crimea and Eastern Europe, or who deliberately sent Russian provocators to destabilise the situation in Ukraine.

I follow with deep concern the provocations organised by Russian troops in civil clothing with a goal to make the 25 May presidential elections a failure in Ukraine. It is our utmost task to ensure that these elections could be organised in a normal and peaceful atmosphere and to guarantee that the will of people in Ukraine can be freely expressed without any external pressures.

We must also not fall victim of the Russian propaganda war. All arguments such as the protection of minorities, are false. We know that only too well. The Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities has declared after the visit to Ukraine that there is no threat towards the minorities. Let the Ukrainian constitution and the Council of Europe conventions protect the multi-ethnic Ukraine, not the expansionist aspirations of President Putin.

Dear colleagues, I hear you repeat and repeat that we need to continue to dialogue with Russia. To dialogue with whom? Do you really think any of us will be able to convince President Putin to change his course? His own lawmakers can't or don't want to call him to order! There was only one Russian MP - Mr Ilya Ponomaryov - who dared to vote against the annexation and continued aggression against Ukraine! Allow me to thank him for his courage! His place would be in this hall, not those who have approved the aggression!

May I finish with replying to Mr Slutsky’s perfect demonstration of demagogy and echo his words, “that truth finds the light of day!” Yes, the truth is, our Russian members have shown us with their deliberations today that they have no understanding of the values and principles of the Council of Europe, and thereby have no place in this organisation.