STA, 22 February 2022 - Slovenian members of the European parliament have condemned Russia's recognition of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine as independent, which they see as a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and a threat to peace.
"What many of us feared has now happened. This is a violation of international agreements by Putin and a threat to world peace. I therefore condemn Russian aggression," MEP Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) wrote on Twitter.
"The violation of the sovereignty of Ukrainian territory will unfortunately shatter the fragile peace seen in Ukraine over the past couple of years," he added as he shared PM Janez Janša's tweet, which also condemned Russia's actions.
MEP Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) also saw the prospect of violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity as unacceptable. "The European Parliament firmly rejects any attempts to weaken or undermine the principles of security in Europe," she tweeted.
MEP Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) added that the response to what is happening in Ukraine will show "whether the EU is capable of doing more than passing empty resolutions and awarding prizes to Russian dissidents. Time is running out".
Her party colleague Milan Zver noted that Russia "severely violates international law and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and added that the "EU must react in unison and quickly with strict and targeted sanctions against Russia."
In the opinion of MEP Milan Brglez (S&D/SD), "the situation is too serious to point fingers, let alone weapons". The only possible response is for the EU to lead in a decisive manner with the aim of de-escalating the situation and reaffirming the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, he said.
Brglez's party colleague Tanja Fajon also warned that Russia's decision was "a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, a flagrant violation of international law and the Minsk agreements".
A joint response was issued by Klemen Grošelj and Irena Joveva (Renew/LMŠ), who expressed their expectations that the EU will adopt "an appropriate and credible set of joint measures against Russia, including sanctions".
However, they hope that all diplomatic means have not yet been exhausted. "We call on the EU to stand united and to prepare for a long-term solution to the biggest security crisis in Europe since the end of WWII, which will affect us all," they wrote.
The reactions from the European Parliament followed Monday's announcements by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities and ordered the deployment of the Russian army to the regions "to ensure peace".
