Andreas Rogal contributed to this article
In response to the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 on 17 July over the Donetsk region in Ukraine, which is controlled by pro-Russian rebels, the member states’ foreign ministers have decided to toughen their stance on Russia. Meeting on 22 July, they spoke about the need for an arms embargo against Russia - an element that until now has featured as part of the so-called ‘stage three’ sanctions against Moscow. The ministers also…
AFET: Sanctions now!
The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) of the European Parliament convened on 22 July for a special meeting in the aftermath of the Malaysian airliner's disaster. MEPs welcomed the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, to the meeting. Speaking first, Klimkin said his government was "ready and willing" to engage with the people of the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine, but called on Russia to recall the leaders of the insurgency there, as they were "all Russians," and overwhelmingly former members of Russia's secret services or special forces.MEPs were unanimous in condemning the disrespectful behaviour of the insurgents at the crash site. Dutch Liberal MEP Marietje Schaake found support across the factions when she remarked that "the fact that access to the crash site and recovery of the victims have been made 'bargaining chips' by the separatists alone merits sanctions against their political masters".A lone voice of dissent was sounded by non-attached member Aymeric Chauprade (France), who argued that France's Mistral arms deal with Russia was the best proof of "Putin having no interest in destabilising the region" - this to the indignation of all other MEPs.
