At the beginning of the meeting, the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament once again expressed his gratitude to the President of the European Parliament and her colleagues for their strong and steadfast support of Ukraine throughout the war.
“Last year was a year of destruction in Ukraine, and I am confident that the coming year will be a year of our victory. The European Parliament is undoubtedly at the forefront of supporting Ukraine. And I thank you for being with Ukraine this year!” said Ruslan Stefanchuk.
In particular, he emphasized that an important manifestation of solidarity with Ukraine is the adoption of 17 resolutions in its favor and support, the latest of which is the historic resolution recognizing russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
During the meeting, the interlocutors focused on the steps already taken and further steps to be taken by Ukraine on its way to full membership in the European Union. In particular, Ruslan Stefanchuk spoke about Ukraine’s efforts to implement the recommendations of the European Commission and work on the adaptation of national legislation to the European one. In this regard, the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament appealed to his European colleagues for support in preparing a national program for such adaptation.
The parties also discussed a number of issues where the role and decisions of the European Parliament are crucial for Ukraine’s future victory in the war: a new package of sanctions against russia, in particular the need to stop russia from circumventing them through third countries; macro-financial, military and humanitarian assistance from the EU; the European Parliament’s participation in developing an effective mechanism for confiscating the aggressor’s funds and restoring post-war Ukraine through reparations.
The speakers also discussed China’s recent proposals for a so-called “peace treaty”. The Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine emphasized that our country has its own peace plan – the peace formula of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which Ukraine calls on the entire democratic world to support.
The participants of the meeting also discussed the continuation of inter-parliamentary cooperation, in particular, in-depth cooperation of the committees of both parliaments, the continuation of the reform of the Ukrainian Parliament through the Jean Monnet Dialogue format, the updating of the Memorandum of Cooperation, etc.
“The European Parliament’s assistance is truly unprecedented. It has never happened before. And we, as Ukrainian parliamentarians, really appreciate it. I would like to emphasize your personal leadership, Ms. Roberta. For Ukrainians, this is a sign of your great concern for the future of Ukraine, for its fate,” the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine thanked once again at the end of the meeting.
The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola reminded the audience that it was her second visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the war and that she had become even more convinced of the strength, courage and endurance of the Ukrainian people and the Parliament in particular.
“I would like to thank you for your efforts, the efforts of your parliamentarians, the leaders of your country. For showing the kind of leadership that makes us, Europeans, not only meet these expectations, but even exceed them,” Roberta Metsola said.
She also assured her Ukrainian counterpart that the European Parliament would continue to work actively in support of Ukraine by adopting even more complex and important resolutions and initiatives.
During the conversation, Roberta Metsola emphasized that she was impressed by the speed and commitment demonstrated by Ukraine in working on the European Commission’s recommendations for EU membership. Therefore, the President of the European Parliament is convinced that the European Union “must respond equally to such commitment and readiness of Ukraine to work on its European future”.