The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, and the First Deputy Chair of the Committee, Vadym Halaichuk, took part in a joint meeting with the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss EU sanctions and the use of frozen Russian assets. The meeting was initiated by the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze expressed her gratitude to the MEPs for their leadership and support for Ukraine and for their efforts to lay a solid foundation for the next steps in assisting and supporting Ukraine. At the same time, she noted that Ukraine is concerned about discussions on potential negotiations with Russia. “A ceasefire cannot be achieved with those who seek to wipe an entire nation off the map of the world, to destroy an entire people, to subordinate all European and Western states to their will. This is precisely the current approach of the Russian Federation. And it has not changed its goals in the war. Therefore, we must stand against this threat together,” emphasised the Chairwoman of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU. She stressed that Russia threatens freedom and democratic principles globally and called for urgent joint actions. “This includes strengthening defence procurement and capabilities for both Ukraine and Europe, effectively enforcing sanctions, and ensuring that entire sectors of the Russian economy are sanctioned so that Russia can no longer finance the war,” said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU further insisted that Russia’s war against Ukraine is not just a war for territory or resources: “This is a war with an aim to change the world order, to subjugate peoples, to replace the rule of law with the rule of force. I hope that European states will not accept it and that together we will find ways to rearrange our efforts and ensure Russia’s defeat.” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also called for collaboration with European and American partners to develop a unified position on the outcome of the war. “We must defeat this axis of evil together, which includes Russia, Iran, North Korea, and, to some extent, China,” the Chair of the Committee emphasised.

Vadym Halaichuk, who is also the Co-Chair of the Ukraine-EU Parliamentary Association Committee on the Ukrainian side, stressed that it is important not only to work on new tools to counter Russia but also to ensure the effectiveness of the existing ones, particularly, to ensure that the sanctions against Russia are effective and all possible loopholes are closed. “We need to coordinate our positions on those companies that sell goods to other states and companies that circumvent sanctions. It is important to find mechanisms to hold such companies accountable and to introduce transparent tools to control sales and further use of the goods. “Most of these companies are fully aware of where their goods ultimately go. Therefore, European states must adjust their policies respectively to enhance the effectiveness of sanctions monitoring and enforcement,” emphasised Vadym Halaichuk.

The Co-Chair of the Ukraine-EU Parliamentary Association Committee on the Ukrainian side also stressed that China’s role in supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine is growing. “China supplies materials and equipment. We know these companies well. They are also present on the European market. Therefore, I insist that we need to create a list of such companies and send them a clear message: if they continue to help circumvent sanctions, it will be much harder for them to operate in the European Union, access technologies, markets, and European partnerships,” concluded Vadym Halaichuk.