The EU and its Member States must act now: deliver Patriot missile systems to Kyiv and use Russian frozen assets to support and rebuild Ukraine

Every day of inaction from the EU side decreases Ukraine’s chances of winning the war of aggression initiated by Russia. That’s why the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament conditioned granting Council the budgetary discharge on the delivery of Patriot missile systems to Kyiv by the EU Member States.

An amendment, today approved by the plenary and initiated by our political group, underscores that Parliament will not grant discharge of the Council for failure to implement Parliament’s recommendations and for as long as the necessary support for Ukraine is not adequately budgeted. The EU has repeatedly failed to deliver the military aid promised to Ukraine and this must change.

Renew Europe MEP, Guy Verhofstadt (Open Vld, Belgium), who earlier this month got the plenary to support his request to postpone Parliament’s vote on Council’s budgetary discharge, said:

“Ukraine needs Patriot missile systems. Europe has them. We need to give them now. They are fighting for our security and our values, so we cannot afford to let them down.

Beyond that, we need to finally put on the table an outline of a European Defence Union, because our safety should not depend on stopgap solutions. It’s not just Ukraine, it’s Europe that needs structural solutions.”

Renew Europe MEP, Petras Auštrevičius (Lithuanian Liberal Movement), shadow rapporteur on Ukraine, who will speak later today in the debate on the use of Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine’s victory and reconstruction, added:

“The delay in using Russian state assets to for Ukraine’s victory and reconstruction is incomprehensible, unjustified and even risky. It gives no hope of justice and does not send a strong message to the aggressor. We must stop dithering over the validity of the decision and take concrete steps.

We must also respond immediately to calls from the Ukrainian leadership to provide Patriot systems. Saving the lives of the Ukrainian people must come first!”