Ukrainians choose their president, not Trump !
The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament firmly rejects US President Donald Trump' call for Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It is not for Washington to choose Ukraine's leaders: that choice belongs to Ukrainians alone. Renew Europe stands firmly and unequivocally with Ukraine and its people in their fight for freedom, sovereignty and a just and lasting peace.
The diesel deal struck between Washington and Moscow, together with an easing of US sanctions, is a gift to Vladimir Putin at Ukraine's expense. It will provide Moscow with additional revenue to sustain its war of aggression while undermining the international pressure needed to bring it to an end. Europe will not follow: reopening the European energy market to Russian products is out of the question.
Valérie Hayer, President of the Renew Group, stated :
“Trump is handing Putin a financial lifeline while Russian missiles destroy Ukrainian homes and power plants. This deal is a betrayal of Ukraine and a direct blow to European security. Putin gets revenues to fuel his war; Trump gets an election stunt at the pump. Ukrainians pay the price in blood. Europe must confront this reckless decision with tougher sanctions on Russia and stronger military support for Kyiv. Our security is not Trump’s to sell.”
Valérie HayerRenew Europe MEP, France, Renaissance
Petras Auštrevičius (Liberalų sąjūdis, Lithuania), Renew shadow rapporteur for Ukraine, emphasised :
"Trump’s misguided decision signals continued chaos and ultimately supports Russia, which shows no signs of a ceasefire or peace negotiations. The EU must take the initiative by maintaining strict sanctions against Russia and abandoning all dependence on Russian fossil fuels. We must remain united in our support for Ukraine by fulfilling the promises made regarding military and economic support, and by protecting Ukrainian lives."
Petras AuštrevičiusRenew Europe MEP, Lithuania, Liberalų Sąjūdis
This is no time to ease pressure on Putin. Russia’s continued attacks expose the hollowness of any ceasefire announcement that is not backed by concrete commitments and action. Ukraine has shown its readiness to respect a genuine, reciprocal energy truce. If there is to be an energy truce between Russia and Ukraine, it cannot be imposed on Ukrainians. It must be fully respected by Russia too, which so far has shown no willingness to do so: new strikes on energy facilities in Kyiv and Kharkiv were reported right after President Trump's announcement of 11 October.
President Trump's approach appears to be increasingly driven by domestic considerations. Blaming Kyiv while striking a deal with Moscow is the wrong response. Rather than blaming Kyiv, the Trump administration should address the real causes of rising fuel prices without rewarding Russian aggression or weakening the sanctions regime.
Europe must stand firm, maintain pressure on the Kremlin and continue providing Ukraine with the support it needs to defend itself. A just and lasting peace cannot be built by rewarding the aggressor, undermining the victim or dictating the victim’s political future.