European Parliament chief says Europe must be realistic and ready to impose new sanctions against Russia
Photo: European Parliament president Roberta Metsola (Getty Images)
European Parliament president Roberta Metsola expressed hope that the war in Ukraine will end, while also urging readiness to impose new sanctions against Russia if peace is not achieved, according to Rainews.
European Parliament president Roberta Metsola welcomed the August 18 meeting of European leaders with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US president Donald Trump in Washington, calling it important that EU representatives supported both heads of state.
"We continue to hope for a solution to end the war, but we must be realistic; we must be ready to introduce new sanctions. The European Parliament is fully united in the belief that Ukraine’s security is Europe’s security," Metsola said.
Speaking on Europe’s role, she noted that the Parliament "always pushes for change," warning that without it there is a risk of "becoming irrelevant."
"If we don’t change, we risk becoming irrelevant. Europe has not been a spectator; it has to be a leader. We must have the courage to take decisions jointly and with unity, and never forget that without Europe we have nothing," she added.
Economic pressure on Russia
According to media reports, the European Union has already prepared its 19th sanctions package against Russia, including tough restrictions on energy sales and measures targeting the so-called "shadow fleet" and companies helping Moscow bypass existing limits.
At the same time, officials in Europe say the most decisive blow to Russia should come from the United States if there is no progress in peace talks with Ukraine.
Trump, for his part, said on August 27 that he has "a very serious plan" to exert pressure on Russia. He emphasized that it concerns economic pressure, stressing he does not want to risk a world war.
Following Trump’s three-hour summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 16, international attention shifted to Washington, where Trump and Zelenskyy met with EU leaders. Security guarantees for Ukraine, possible peace talks with Russia, and an end to the war dominated the agenda.
The next question is whether Zelenskyy and Putin will meet directly. Trump announced after the Washington summit that preparations had begun for a bilateral meeting, to be followed by a trilateral one. He said Putin had promised him to sit down with Zelenskyy, but statements from Moscow have cast doubt on that.
Zelenskyy recently underlined that Russia is doing everything it can to block peace negotiations.
