EU Parliament Urges EU to Supply Ukraine with Taurus Missiles, Aircraft, and Air Defence Systems Amid Russia's Escalation of War
The European Parliament has called on EU member states and the international community to take ‘swift and decisive’ action in response to the ‘alarming escalation’ of Russia's war against Ukraine and the involvement of China and North Korea. In particular, it is about providing Kyiv with the necessary amount of weapons, including Taurus missiles, aircraft and air defence systems.
This is stated in the European Parliament's resolution, which MEPs adopted on 28 November with 390 votes in favour.
In the document, the European Parliament condemned Russia's use of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine and its testing of new ballistic missiles.
MEPs emphasise that these recent ‘escalatory steps’ represent a new phase in the war and a new risk to the security of Europe as a whole, and call on the EU and other partners of Ukraine to respond accordingly.
The European Parliament asks the EU and its Member States to increase military support for Ukraine, including by providing aircraft, long-range missiles including Taurus missiles, modern air defence systems including Patriot and SAMP/T and ammunition, as well as man-portable air defence systems, artillery and training programmes for the Ukrainian Defence Forces.
In addition, MEPs call on EU member states to further strengthen the sanctions regime against Iran, Belarus and North Korea, condemning these states for their military support to Russia, and call on China to stop all military or dual-use assistance to Russia.
The European Parliament's resolution calls on the EU Council to extend sanctions against Russia itself, in particular against sectors of particular economic importance, such as the metallurgical, nuclear, chemical, agricultural and banking sectors, as well as against Russian raw materials.
MEPs welcomed US President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use advanced missile systems for military purposes in Russia and called on the EU and its member states to take ‘similar measures’, underlining the common strategic interest in supporting Ukraine.
MEPs also call on EU member states to engage with the future administration of US President-elect Donald Trump to strengthen ‘mutually beneficial transatlantic cooperation’.
Earlier, on 27 November, representatives of the governments of Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Finland, following the summit in Hapsund, Sweden, stated the need to consolidate efforts to support Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia.