European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (C) delivers a speech during a special plenary session of the European Parliament focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the EU headquarters in Brussels, on March 01, 2022. - The European Commission has opened the door for Ukraine to join the EU, but this is not for tomorrow, despite Kyiv s request for a special procedure to integrate the country without delay . AFP
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) almost unanimously approved a resolution condemning Russia's military operation in Ukraine and calling for tough sanctions against Moscow, including restriction of oil and gas imports from Russia and disconnecting the country from SWIFT.
“The European Parliament calls for the EU institutions to work towards granting EU candidate status to Ukraine, and, in the meantime, to continue to work towards its integration into the EU single market along the lines of the Association Agreement,” the document reads.
"The European Parliament condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against and invasion of Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus in this aggression," according to the resolution, which is recommendatory in nature.
The members of the European Parliament called on the EU to impose new tough sanctions against Russia, which in particular should be "aimed at strategically weakening the Russian economy and industrial base, in particular the military-industrial complex, and thereby the ability of the Russian Federation to threaten international security in the future."
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