![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the European Parliament on 9 February](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/img/mediasize_thumb.png)
Check out our timeline for an overview of how the EU and the European Parliament continue to support Ukraine in 2023.
Check out our timeline for an overview of how the EU and the European Parliament continue to support Ukraine in 2023.
Even before Ukraine came under attack from Russia in February 2022, the EU was keen to support Kyiv and forge closer links. Find out how.
MEPs call on NATO allies to honour their commitment to Ukraine and pave the way for Kyiv to be invited to join the defence alliance.
The EU and the European Parliament have stood with Ukraine ever since Russia launched an unjustified and illegal full-scale invasion of the country on 24 February 2022.
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda urged the EU to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom and to keep its doors open to Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine.
MEPs call for serious consideration to be given to delivering fighter jets, helicopters, appropriate missile systems and a substantial increase in munitions to Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Latvian President Egils Levits called on Europe to find the political will to try Russia for its crimes and give Ukraine a future in Europe.
On Thursday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the European Parliament during an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels.
Ahead of the EU-Ukraine summit, MEPs reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine’s EU membership, reiterating the need for a merit-based accession process.
The war in Ukraine reminds us of the darkest chapters of European history, says David McAllister, the chair of Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
In a resolution adopted on Thursday, MEPs demand the Russian political and military leadership be held accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
In a debate with Presidents Michel and von der Leyen, MEPs called for continued support for Ukraine and a common EU response to the US inflation reduction act.
Check out our timeline for an overview of how the EU and the European Parliament supported Ukraine in 2022 since the start of Russia’s invasion on 24 February.
Parliament’s 2022 Sakharov Prize was awarded to the brave people of Ukraine, in a ceremony on 14 December.
Following the atrocities carried out by Vladimir Putin’s regime against Ukrainian civilians, MEPs have recognised Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
MEPs have awarded the brave people of Ukraine, represented by their president, elected leaders and civil society, the 2022 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
MEPs urge all countries and international organisations to condemn unequivocally the sham referenda in Ukraine and Russia’s attempt to acquire territory by force.
In the annual State of the European Union debate, MEPs quizzed President von der Leyen on the Commission’s work in the past year and its upcoming plans.
Granting candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova would not only strengthen the two countries, but also the EU, Roberta Metsola told EU leaders.
During the “This is Europe” debate with Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, MEPs expressed support for Croatia’s adoption of the Euro and joining Schengen.
In his address to MEPs on Wednesday, the Speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Ruslan Stefanchuk called on the EU to endorse his country’s membership application.
MEPs welcomed the unity and additional sanctions delivered by the European Council but called for more arms to Ukraine and more attention to those struggling within the EU.
For next year’s EU budget, MEPs secured better and more effective support for addressing the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the pandemic recovery process.
Roberta Metsola called on EU leaders to commit to long-term engagement when it comes to Ukraine, including securing energy independence for the EU.
The special international tribunal should investigate Russian leaders and military commanders and their allies for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
MEPs call for funding to deal with the consequences of the war in Ukraine, by confiscating Russian oligarchs’ assets, new EU own resources, and using the existing EU budget fully.
On Thursday, Parliament backed a one-year suspension of EU import duties on all Ukrainian exports, to support the country’s economy.
Parliament calls on the EU to protect women fleeing Ukraine from violence and trafficking, and to grant them access to essential health services.
MEPs applaud European transport and tourism operators for helping refugees from Ukraine, demand Russia return stolen airplanes and call on the EU to tighten sanctions on Russia.
In a debate with French Minister Delegate Klinkert and President von der Leyen, MEPs said internal EU unity and solidarity is crucial now and for the future reconstruction of Ukraine.
MEPs call for children fleeing war in Ukraine to be given safe passage and for assistance for those internally displaced or unable to leave areas under siege.
One month after Russia attacked Ukraine, MEPs unanimously condemned the brutal invasion and urged the EU to further sanction Moscow and protect the European economy.
President Metsola updated the house on her visit to Ukraine and appealed for more logistical, humanitarian and military support, at the opening of the session.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced millions of people to leave their homes. Find out what the EU is doing to help them and manage its external borders.
Parliament calls for immediate and substantial food aid to Ukraine and for the EU to make its food production more independent.
Parliament President Roberta Metsola praised the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine and called on EU leaders to stand by those in need of protection.
Debating last week’s EU Summit with Presidents Michel and von der Leyen and EU Foreign Policy Chief Borrell, MEPs united in showing solidarity and giving more help to Ukraine.
Addressing MEPs, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, stressed that NATO and the EU are more resolved and united than ever and that pressure on Putin must be increased.
MEPs joined Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in calling for more EU defence, reduced energy dependence and solidarity with Ukraine in a plenary debate on 9 March.
The European Parliament wants more support for Ukraine and tougher sanctions against Russia following its invasion of the country.
On International Women’s Day, Ukrainian author Oksana Zabuzhko addressed the European Parliament on the plight of her fellow citizens under attack by Russia.
As more than two million refugees flee war in Ukraine, mostly towards the EU, member states will have to continue showing solidarity, MEPs said on Tuesday.
Debating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, MEPs expressed unwavering support for Ukraine and for efforts to bring the country closer to the European community.
In a debate on EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia’s military threat against Ukraine, MEPs called for a united response and voiced support for Ukraine.
Against the backdrop of increasing Russian military threats against Ukraine, MEPs say any aggression by Moscow must come at a high economic and political price.
Parliament is deeply concerned by the recent Russian military build-up on Ukraine border and revelations of Russian agents behind explosions in Czechia
Russia’s military attack on Ukraine is just one of the latest sources of tension in the country’s relations with the EU. Find out more.
The 2018 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was awarded to Ukrainian filmmaker and writer Oleg Sentsov during a ceremony at the Parliament in Strasbourg on 12 December.
A visa-free regime for Ukrainians travelling to the EU is just one example of the European Parliament’s continued support of Ukraine.
EU-Russia relations have long been difficult but following Moscow’s recent involvement in the bombing of Aleppo they have deteriorated even further. Tonight at the European Council heads of EU states discuss the EU's strategy towards Russia. MEPs have strongly condemned Russia’s role in Syria and called for a "critical reassessment" of EU relations with the country. Read on for an overview of Parliament's position.
“Awareness of the threat of Russia is ever growing,” says MEP Sandra Kalniete ahead of MEPs adopting a resolution on EU-Russia relations on 12 March. Find out more in our interview.
The European Parliament proposes new ways to intensify EU relations with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova ahead of the Eastern Partnership Summit on 24 November.
"Ukraine's needs have not diminished but because of the urgency and weight of other events it has found itself displaced for public attention." So says former EP President Pat Cox in an interview ahead of Ukraine Week, a conference on good parliamentary practice and law-making at the European Parliament on 29 February-2 March. Attended by a 40-strong delegation of Ukrainian parliamentarians, the week opens with the presentation of a report on capacity-building by Cox.
Just over two years after the Euromaidan mass protests resulted in removing President Viktor Yanukovych from power, Ukraine is still at a crossroads between war and peace, between corruption and reform. The entry into force of the EU-Ukraine free trade area on 1 January 2016 was a milestone in relations between the two entities. Our timeline tracks the main events of the past two years, from the annexation of Crimea to the Minsk II peace agreement and more.
EU plans to lend Ukraine €1.8 billion to help plug its short-term balance of payments gap were approved by MEPs on Wednesday. The EU will borrow the money externally and lend it on to Ukraine with the same interest rate. The disbursement will be tied to Ukraine pledging structural reforms to tackle problems that contributed to the current crisis.
Amid temperatures of -20°C people in Eastern Ukraine were cut off from electricity, heating and water after pro-Russian rebels broke the ceasefire and started shelling the area last week. Another sign that managing EU-Russia relations remains a challenge especially in view of the country's assertiveness and uncertainty surrounding the future of US foreign policy. The security and defence subcommittee discussed on Monday Russia's influence in Ukraine and Southern Caucasus and how to react to it.
EU-Russia relations were discussed today during the plenary session in Strasbourg and tomorrow MEPs will vote on a report on the state of EU-Russia relations. We spoke to Lithuanian EPP member Gabrielius Landsbergis, who wrote the report, about the impact of sanctions against Russia and the country's recent entry ban on EU politicians and officials.
Ukraine should swiftly form a new government and launch reforms, MEPs told the country's leaders following the parliamentary elections on Sunday won by pro-European parties. The European Parliament was present with an observation mission to ensure the elections were run fairly and transparently. In a meeting with Ukraine's president and prime minister the following day, the MEPs vouched to do everything in the EP's power to help implement the recently ratified association agreement.
The European Parliament gave its consent to the EU-Ukraine Association agreement, which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), on Tuesday in Strasbourg. At the same time, the Agreement was also ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament in Kiev. The deal will establish a deep political association and economic integration between the EU and Ukraine and provide for mutual free market access.
EU member states have relaunched peace talks with Russia and Ukraine to prevent the situation in the country from deteriorating any further. On Monday the EP's foreign affairs committee discussed the situation with Alexey Pushkov, the chair of the Duma's international affairs committee. After the meeting, we talked to Othmar Karas, an Austrian member of the EPP group and chair of the EP delegation to the EU-Russia parliamentary cooperation committee, to find out his views.
“What happens in Ukraine concerns all Europeans, because we cannot stand by and watch idly while the founding principles of the international community are being violated.”
The European Parliament welcomes signs of hope in moves towards peace in Ukraine and in the newly-ratified EU-Ukraine association agreement, but worries about Russia’s real intentions in the undeclared "hybrid war" there. In a resolution adopted on Thursday, it urges the EU to stand up to Russia and step up support for EU farmers hit by its trade ban.
The signing of agreements is rarely accompanied by applause, shouting and the flashing of victory signs, but this one was years in the making and responsible for a major change in European affairs. Many MEPs were quick to show their joy when the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was ratified simultaneously by the Ukrainian and European Parliaments on Tuesday 16 September, the first time in the EU's history that such a vote took place at the same time in the EP.
About 98% of the customs duties that Ukrainian iron, steel, farm produce and machinery exporters pay at EU borders will be removed by a proposal backed by European Parliament on Thursday. This unilateral measure will boost Ukraine’s struggling economy by saving its manufacturers and exporters €487 million a year.
Ukraine has been making the headlines for months. What started as mass demonstrations escalated into violent clashes and finally the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia. "The EU should have reacted much earlier," said Paweł Kowal, the head of Parliament’s delegation to Ukraine. The Polish member of the ECR group discussed the situation in the troubled country during a chat with the Parliament’s Facebook fans on 9 April.
The dramatic events in Ukraine that led to more than 80 deaths and President Viktor Yanukovych being removed from power changed the country and the EU should step in now to support democracy, MEPs from across the political spectrum said in a plenary debate on its future on 26 February. Speakers paid tribute to Ukrainians' courage and underlined that they should be able to freely determine the future of their own country.
The EU should not give up on Ukrainians protesting against their government’s decision to postpone closer links with the Union, according to the majority of MEPs during a debate on the country’s situation. However, some MEPs called Ukraine’s decision to not sign an association agreement a failure of the EU’s foreign policy and a win for Russia.
Russia must immediately withdraw all its military forces from Ukrainian territory, say MEPs in a resolution passed on Thursday. They condemn its "act of aggression in invading Crimea" as a breach of international law, declare Crimea’s plans to hold a referendum on its accession to Russia to be illegal and warn that Russia’s actions pose a threat to the security of the EU.
What should be done to resolve the crisis in Ukraine? Political leaders from around Europe and the world have had crisis talks for days in order to find the best way to deal with Russia over the divided country and prevent further escalation. We discussed the situation with Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, Germany), chair of the delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, and Paweł Kowal (ECR, Poland), chair of the delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
The Vilnius summit of the Eastern Partnership on 28-29 November could prove to be a milestone for EU-Ukraine relations, as both sides expect to sign the association agreement that would bring the country closer to the EU. Today EP envoys Pat Cox and Aleksander Kwasniewski present their report on the Tymoshenko case during the Conference of Presidents. We talked about it with Paweł Kowal, a Polish member of the ECR group who is the chair of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.