Resolution on Russia, the case of Alexei Navalny, the military build-up on Ukraine’s border and Russian attacks in the Czech Republic
The European Parliament adopted by 569 votes to 67, with 46 abstentions, a resolution on Russia, the case of Alexei Navalny, the military build-up on Ukraine’s border and Russian attacks in the Czech Republic.
Military build-up
The Russian Federation has substantially increased its military presence on the eastern and northern borders with Ukraine and in occupied Crimea. The recent build-up is the biggest concentration of Russian troops since 2014 and its scale and striking capabilities indicate offensive intentions.
Firstly, Parliament expressed support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and reiterated strong support for the EU’s policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol.
It called for the immediate release of all illegally detained and imprisoned Ukrainian citizens in the Crimean peninsula and in Russia.
Parliament remains highly concerned by the large Russian military build-up at the border with Ukraine and in the illegally occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which the Russian Ministry of Defence declared to have come to an end.
The EU must draw conclusions from the deeply concerning Russian military build-up on the Ukrainian border, which has been suspended as of Friday, 23 April. Parliament insisted that the return of Russian troops from the border with Ukraine back to their permanent bases must be done fully and without delay.
Stating that the Russian military build-up presents a threat to European stability, security and Peace, Parliament demanded that Russia immediately end the practice of unjustified military build-ups targeted at threatening its neighbours. Parliament also stressed that the EU should reduce its dependence on Russian energy, and urged the EU institutions and all Member States, therefore, to stop the completion of the Nord
Stream 2 pipeline and to demand a stop to the construction of controversial nuclear power plants built by Rosatom.
Furthermore, the EU and its Member States are also called on to:
- draw on the UK legislative proposal for a Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulation, and other similar regimes, and to adopt an EU anti-corruption sanctions regime in order to complement the current EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime;
- avoid being a place for Russian wealth and investments of unclear origin.
Alexei Navalny
The resolution called for the immediate and unconditional release of Alexei Navalny, whose sentencing is politically motivated and runs counter to Russia’s international human rights obligations, and of all persons detained during protests in support of his release or his anti-corruption campaign.
Parliament holds Russia accountable for the health situation of Alexei Navalny and urged Russia to investigate the assassination attempt on Alexei Navalny. It called for the arrests of peaceful protesters and the systematic attacks on the opposition in relation to the demands to free Alexei Navalny to be stopped.
Czechia
The Czech Republic expelled 18 Russian embassy staff on 17 April 2021, including members of the Russian intelligence agencies, over revelations that Russian active-duty intelligence officers were involved in setting off the explosion of an arms depot in Vrbětice, Czechia, in 2014, in which two Czech citizens were killed. Parliament deplored this act which constituted a violation of Czech sovereignty and represents an unacceptable act of hostility. It strongly condemned activities aimed at destabilising and threatening EU Member States and called on Russia to cease any such activities, to hold those responsible to account, and to compensate the families of the citizens who died in the 2014 attack.