Kubilius was appointed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to boost cooperation in the arms industry. He wants EU countries to spend more on the production and joint procurement of European weapons. He also seeks greater cross-border collaboration among companies.
If it were up to the European Parliament, Ukraine would be allowed to take a further step in striking targets inside Russia. Western weapons should henceforth also be used to hit military objectives in Russia. After all, the country must have the ability to fully defend itself. The Parliament is also tightening measures against Moscow further.
In an adopted resolution, the MEPs want member states to lift their current restrictions on Ukraine. These prevent Western weapons from being used against legitimate military targets in Russia. If these rules are removed, Ukraine can defend itself more effectively, according to the reasoning. The text was approved with 425 votes in favor, 131 against, and 63 abstentions.
Currently, Ukraine cannot defend itself properly and remains the target of Russian attacks on its civilians and infrastructure. Removing these restrictions should bring more change in this regard, the Parliament states. Furthermore, EU countries themselves must increase their direct aid to Ukrainians again, as it has declined considerably for some time.
The MEPs reiterate their call to member states to fulfill their promise made in March 2023. At that time, countries pledged to deliver one million bullets and other ammunition to Ukraine. The delivery of weapons, air defense systems, and ammunition, including TAURUS missiles, must also be accelerated. They continue to maintain that all EU countries and NATO allies should commit to annual military support for Ukraine.
Additionally, sanctions were imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and have since been tightened. MEPs condemn the recent transfer of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia. They therefore call for stricter sanctions against both Tehran and North Korea due to their involvement in supporting Russia's war against Ukraine.
Furthermore, more Chinese individuals, companies, and institutions must be added to the EU sanctions list. Stricter measures must be taken to tackle the problem of sanctions evasion by companies established in the EU. Russian state assets, frozen after the 2022 invasion, should be confiscated by the Parliament. Ukraine could be compensated from these funds.
MEP Reinier van Lanschot (Volt) supports the chosen course. “The Ukrainians are simply asking us to free their hands and allow them to attack the military targets that Russia uses to terrorize Ukrainian civilians. In this war, one country is trying to conquer another. You do not create sustainable peace by forcing the defender to surrender. You create it by stopping the aggressor,” says the Dutchman, who himself was in Kyiv to conduct research.
Dutch CDA MEP Ingeborg ter Laak says: “Europe contributes financially and sends weapons. However, this seems insufficient to deter Russia. We must therefore jointly lift the ban on the use of weapons on Russian territory. Only if we are united can Ukraine effectively defend itself and we can show Russia that it has no place there. Only in this way will peace arise.”