Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Members of the Committee on Ukraine s Integration into the EU participated in an online meeting with the members of the German Bundestag. The parties discussed bilateral cooperation, Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic prospects, as well as security issues, in particular, the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline and countering Russian aggression.

The Chair of the Committee informed the members of the Bundestag that the situation on the eastern border of Ukraine remained tense. The statements of the Russian Federation about withdrawal of the Russian armed forces from the territory of Ukraine after so-called exercises held this spring were not true. About 30% of those additional units that were assembled by the Russian Federation on the Ukrainian border, according to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, still remain there. Moreover, additional exercises are being prepared on the territory of Belarus between the Russian and Belarusian troops. Therefore, Ukraine is facing an additional military threat — from Russia through the territory of Belarus. “Russia is the only source and cause of the war on the territory of Ukraine. Russia is a party to this conflict, it has occupied and illegally annexed part of our territory. The key to peace in Ukraine is in the Kremlin. Ukraine has no keys to peace for our people, on our territory. Therefore, we really count on the help and support of our partners, in particularly Germany, due to which we will finally together force Russia to comply with the international law”, - the Committee Chair said.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze informed that Ukraine strongly opposed the completion of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. According to the Chair of the Committee, our state considers this project not an economic, but purely geopolitical and security one, which Russia uses for disarmament and additional attacks on Ukraine, to put pressure on both Ukraine and our partners in the EU. “In the Nord Stream-2, we see a threat to our survival as a state. We know very well how Russia behaved in gas wars, when it used a gas tool, forced Europe to freeze by not supplying gas through Ukraine, and accused it of failing to fulfil its obligations, although this was not true. We remember how Russia blew up parts of gas pipelines in Turkmenistan, I remember well 2006, when a gas pipeline was blown up in Georgia. As true friends of Germany, we want to warn you not to remain dreamers that this is an economic tool for Russia. Russia is not interested in the stronger Germany and the stronger EU. That is why we are sounding the alarm and trying to find an understanding with you”, — Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze stated.

The Chair of the Committee also reminded that Ukraine has serious ambitions for membership in the EU and NATO, which are stated not only in the slogans, but also in the Constitution of Ukraine. Now, according to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, our state is working on the implementation of the Association Agreement. This is the main tool for continuing the integration path to the European Union. “It is important for us not only to implement the Association Agreement on our part. It is also important that the Agreement has a response and move towards Ukraine from our European partners, when Ukraine is doing its homework”, — the Chair of the Committee said. At the same time, she acknowledged that the implementation of the Agreement in Ukraine was not as fast and high quality as we would like.

The Chairman of the German Bundestag's Committee for European Union Affairs Gunther Krichbaum, said that Ukraine should carry on reforms to achieve its strategic goals: “The reforms are not carried out to satisfy Berlin or Paris, but for the people of Ukraine, so that people live in a state that works for them”.

The parties also discussed the need for the German Bundestag to recognize the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people. According to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the Ukrainian nation was formed in the conditions of constant presence of totalitarian regimes on its territory, in the conditions of survival and genocide, several wars and, despite all this, it survived and is being built now: “We and our partners shall take a reality check of our history, so that the world know about the atrocities that took place on the territory of Ukraine when the whole nation was exterminated”. The Chair of the Committee is convinced that Ukraine belongs culturally, historically and mentally to the European continent. “We have proved that we are the last outpost behind values. Sometimes, unfortunately, European countries have double standards regarding values, and we in Ukraine pay with blood for deciding to self-determine, that we know where we want to go. We understand that we have a lot to do to be compatible with European and NATO countries, but that does not mean that someone can close the door on us. I hope for Germany's support of Ukraine s right to its European future, because we are none other than Europeans”, — Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze summed up.