Statement by leading MEPs on EU-Ukraine relations following the high-level meeting to commemorate the five years that have passed since the Euromaidan revolution in 2013-2014 on Tuesday:
“Five years ago, young Ukrainians started on the central square of Kyiv what was to become the Revolution of Dignity. They were protesting against tyranny and calling for a free, democratic, independent and European Ukraine. They could not accept the abrupt decision of former President Yanukovych to turn Ukraine away from the European Union and were asking for a deep political transformation.
This week, we paid tribute in the European Parliament to the courageous Ukrainians who peacefully took to the streets five years ago, and to those who lost their lives following the brutal crackdown by the authorities at the time. We are convinced that the best response to both the demands of the people of Maidan and to the Russian aggression - which has reached new levels in the past few days in the Sea of Azov - is the further consolidation of Ukrainian democracy and rule of law, including a strong civil society and independent media. In this respect, we welcome the vote taken by the Verkhovna Rada formally scheduling the presidential elections on 31 March 2019, so as to stop all speculations related to a possible instrumentalisation of the martial law to postpone these elections.
It is our duty to fight against false narratives related to Maidan, to support the reform process, notably by further accompanying the Verkhovna Rada in its modernisation process and to work towards the further deepening of EU-Ukraine relations. We owe this to the people who waved Ukrainian and European flags on Maidan during the cold winter nights in 2013-14 and fought for a better, European future.”
The statement was issued by:
EP Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister (EPP, DE),
Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, Dariusz Rosati (EPP, PL),
Chair of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Rebecca Harms (Greens/EFA, DE),
EP Lead Member on Capacity-Building for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Elmar Brok (EPP, DE).
