The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU took part in a media seminar and briefing at the European Parliament on women's rights and dedicated to International Women's Day.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said that Ukrainian women would be happy to talk about equal rights at work, suffrage, women's representation in government and leadership positions, and how to implement new EU directives into Ukrainian law. But now the lives of Ukrainian women and men, our entire cities and villages, are under bombardment and shelling by the Russian occupiers: "More than 3.5 million people have been displaced in the 12 days of Russia's war against our peaceful country, which dreams of its returning to our European family, which we believe we belong to. We cannot count the exact number of civilian casualties, because there are cities such as Mariupol, Irpin near Kyiv, Volnovakha in the Donetsk region, and Kharkiv, where we still cannot count the exact number of civilian casualties. We know for sure that more than two thousand people have already been killed. 38 children died in this war, 72 children were wounded. These are 38 young lives have been lost, whose dreams will not come true any longer." The chairman of the committee informed MEPs that the occupiers were shooting the entire families as they were trying to evacuate. They are firing on humanitarian corridors, dropping banned cluster bombs and vacuum bombs on civilians. They aim at kindergartens, schools, and hospitals. Since the beginning of the war, the Russian army has damaged or destroyed 202 schools, 34 hospitals, and more than 1,500 residential buildings in Ukraine, including apartment buildings.
People are trying to escape from those areas where the fiercest fighting is taking place. Ukraine has been asking for humanitarian corridors lately, but the aggressor is cynically shelling the Ukrainian civilians: “People in overcrowded trains are trying to escape. Sometimes for a day or two they have to travel in terrible conditions, without basic hygiene. And this all is happening in the 21st century. And all the horrors in Ukraine are now being committed by a state that calls itself a fighter against neo-Nazism. And I hope that the International Criminal Court will prove that everything that is happening in Ukraine now is genocide against the Ukrainian people. " Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze believes that it is very important now to record all crimes against humanity, war crimes committed by the attackers in Ukraine, because this will be the evidence base in the International Criminal Court.
According to the chairman of the Committee, Ukrainian women are fighting the Russian occupiers on an equal footing with men, as well as volunteering, helping to provide humanitarian needs and defending their land and taking up arms. "We do not give up, we fight, our army shows incredible strength and courage. More than a hundred thousand people have signed up for territorial defence, and women are joining both the army and territorial defence units. They stand side by side with the men and also volunteer to help provide humanitarian needs. They are fully involved in the struggle. "
On behalf of all Ukrainian women and including in particular women politicians, Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze called on the European Parliament to act: "Close the skies over Ukraine, give us protection in the air, give us strong military support, fuel, ammunition for our soldiers. All those who share our values, who respect human rights, who respect the fundamental rights that must be available to everyone, must mobilize, work with their governments, with their authorities, so that this assistance is provided to Ukraine. Both our enemies and our friends underestimated Ukraine. They did not think that Ukraine would fight so hard. We will not give up, we will defend our land." The Chairman of the Committee assured that all political forces in Ukraine are now united: "We sharply criticized the government before the war, but now we are united in our main task - to protect our land and our people."
Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze also called on the European Parliament to go much further in adopting sanctions against Russia. "I urge European governments to impose really tough sanctions. Because so far only 15% of Russian banks have been disconnected from SWIFT. As long as at least one Russian bank is connected to this system, this means that your sanctions do not work. Impose personal sanctions against the Duma deputies (the Russian Parliament), their security forces, oligarchs, and their families. Their children and wives have a great time in Europe or other Western countries. They must be expelled from there. Impose an embargo on the purchase of oil and gas from Russia. I know it is painful for you, but if you do not want Russia to wage war on you as well, just as unreasonably and groundlessly as against Ukraine, you must act! You will save the lives not only of Ukrainians, but also of people all over the world, "the Committee chairman said.
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