Purchase of Russian fossil fuels must stop immediately - MEP

RIGA - European Union (EU) countries should immediately stop buying Russian fossil fuels, says European Parliament Member Inese Vaidere (New Unity) belives.

The politician's office informed LETA that since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, each EU citizen has paid on average more than EUR 400 for Russian fossil fuels. According to Vaidere, this clearly shows the need for an immediate end to these Russian energy purchases.

The MEP stresses that Ukraine must be supported both economically and militarily - with all the necessary resources - until Ukraine wins its brutal war.

MEPs also call on Member States to substantially increase and accelerate their military support, especially in the area of arms and ammunition, in response to Ukraine's clear needs, not only to enable Ukraine to defend itself against Russian attacks, but also to help it regain full control of all its internationally recognized territory.

While Denmark, Norway, Lithuania and Latvia have provided more than 1 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to Ukraine, and Estonia 3.5 percent, the southern European countries have been very passive in their support for war-weakened Ukraine.

"Major powers such as France and Spain have provided aid amounting to only 0.07 percent of their GDP. This is inexcusably low, and we point this out in the resolution adopted by the EP. We call for the necessary investment in Europe's defense industrial base to substantially increase production, both to meet Ukraine's needs and to replenish the depleted stocks of EU Member States," the MEP said.

Vaidere also stresses the importance of improving cooperation between European countries at industrial and armed forces level. She stresses that the EU needs to become stronger militarily and improve military-to-military cooperation, including production, so that, regardless of the outcome of the US elections in November, it has a solid defense base of its own, in coordination with NATO.

MEPs call for an immediate and complete end to Russia's financing of the war with EU money, with embargoes on Russian agricultural products, fossil fuels and liquefied natural gas transported both by sea and by pipeline.

"It is mind-boggling that in 2023 the EU paid Russia EUR 28 billion for fossil and gas imports, or twice as much as the financial support to Ukraine. Still, a quarter of Russia's income from fossil and gas exports comes from EU Member States!" Vaidere stressed.