Members of the Committee on Ukraine's integration into the EU, together with colleagues from the Committee on Foreign policy and interparliamentary cooperation, held an online meeting with Portuguese MPs.

The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU thanked Portugal for its support: “We appreciate the fact that Portugal has a very clear position on sanctions against the aggressor country. We hope that the pressure on Russia will be further strengthened through the 6th package of the EU sanctions, and we hope that Portugal will support the embargo on Russian oil and additional sanctions against Russian banks”. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze asked her Portuguese colleagues to support further tightening of sanctions against Russia at the European level, in particular, by refusing to buy Russian gas and extending financial sanctions to all Russian banks, not just some of them. She also thanked Portugal for sending weapons to Ukraine: “This is the biggest humanitarian aid for us today. Because Ukrainians have the courage, devotion, conviction and strength of Ukrainian soldiers and Ukrainian society, but without heavy weapons we will not be able to overcome this terrible barbaric machine.”

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze asked to support the decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership at the level of the European Council: “We are counting on this. We hope that the Ukrainian people who are defending European values today, who are dying every day for European values, will know based on the decision of the European Union that they have a light at the end of the tunnel”.

The Chair of the Committee also noted that the strategic course of NATO membership is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine: “We believe that after Ukraine's victory, after the restoration of sovereignty and our territorial integrity in the internationally recognized borders, Ukraine will be not only worthy but also a desirable member of the North Atlantic Alliance, which knows how to defend values and will be completely rearmed in accordance with NATO standards. We hope that this decision will be supported by your parliament and government in the future.”

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze called on Portuguese deputies to initiate a resolution in their parliament recognizing Russia's crimes in Ukraine as genocide of the Ukrainian people.

She thanked Portuguese authorities and people for helping Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave their country because of the war. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze expressed hope that they will be able to return home as soon as possible after Ukraine's victory over Russia. The Chair of the Committee is convinced that the Marshall Plan will be needed to rebuild Ukraine after the victory: “The resources that Ukraine will need must include frozen and confiscated funds from Russian rulers, oligarchs, Russia's gold reserves, and Russian businesses that support Russia's barbaric actions today. Therefore, we ask you to work on this."

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze invited Portuguese MPs to join the United4Ukraine initiative, which brings together European and international parliamentarians who support Ukraine. She also invited the Portuguese parliamentary delegation to visit Ukraine.