EU resolution on Russia, Serbia is mentioned in the text VIDEO

EU resolution on Russia, Serbia is mentioned in the text VIDEO

The session started around 12.25, and its beginning was followed by great applause addressed to the Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU, as well as to the citizens of Ukraine who were invited to the extraordinary session of the European Parliament. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, will also address the audience.

In addition to the strongest condemnation of "Russia's military aggression", support for Ukraine and calls on the EU to strengthen sanctions against Moscow, the draft resolution, which will be voted on today, also contains a paragraph by which the European Parliament points out the consequences of Serbia's non-compliance with EU sanctions.

"The European Parliament regrets Serbia's non-compliance with EU sanctions against Russia, which is detrimental to its accession process. We emphasize the expectation that EU candidate countries will comply not only with EU criteria but also with the EU's common foreign and security policy," the draft text that Tanjug had insight into says.

The draft resolution, in 46 paragraphs, "strongly condemns the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression and the invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as well as the participation of Belarus in this aggression."

The Russian Federation is required to "immediately stop all military activities in Ukraine and withdraw military and paramilitary forces and military equipment" from the territory of Ukraine, while at the same time expressing "undivided solidarity with the Ukrainian people."

With this resolution, the European Parliament also calls for "the continuation of diplomatic efforts in order to stop the Russian aggression" and the finding of a "peaceful solution while respecting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

EU member states are calling for further emergency humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but also to expand sanctions that should "weaken the Russian economy", including a ban on the import of Russian oil and gas into the EU.

At the same time, EU member states are urged to "accept the fact that strict sanctions against Russia will have inevitable negative effects on their economic situation."

The European Parliament is expected to support all EU measures introduced so far, including support for the military strengthening of the Ukrainian army. According to the text of the draft resolution, the European Parliament should call on the EU to prepare a multibillion-euro package for "Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure", as well as to start the process of approving Ukraine's candidate status for EU membership.

European Parliament resolutions are not legally binding and represent EU political assessments and guidelines.