Activities of Eleftherios SYNADINOS related to 2015/2036(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia (debate) EL
Strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia (debate) EL
Amendments (20)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- whereas the non-binding Resolution 68/262 of the UN General Assembly of 27 March 2014, regarding Ukraine’s territorial integrity
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Black Sea Basin is one of the world’s most strategic regions, of key importance to the EU and its Member States, in particular with regard to ensuring their security and defence, and to the EU Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership; whereas all existing protractedolder conflicts in the Republic of Moldova (Transnistria), Georgia (South Ossetia and Abkhazia) and between Armenia and Azerbaijan (Nagorno- Karabakh) are locatedffect the geopolitical and geostrategic situation in the Black Sea Basin;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the European Council has strongly condemned the Russian Federation’s annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol and will notdoes not intend to recognise it; whereas restrictions on trade between the EU and Crimea have been imposed as a consequence;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Γ
Recital Γ
C. whereas NATO has condemned the Russian Federation’s military escalation in Crimea, its illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea and its continued and deliberate destabilisation of eastern Ukraine in violation of international law;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Δ
Recital Δ
D. whereas the military balance in the Black Sea Basin has shifted following the illegal annexation of Crimea, with Russia now unlawfully controlling hundreds of kilometres of the Crimean coastline and the adjacent waters facing NATO and EU maritime borders; whereas Russia has fuelled aggressive actions on Ukrainian territoryof EU Member States;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Ε
Recital Ε
E. whereas prior to the illegal annexation, Russian land and air forces in Crimea were minimalthe necessary ones and concerned mainly with the defence of Sevastopol – main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet – and two adjacent naval bases; whereas through a military build-up in Crimea and in the Black Sea Basin following the annexation, Russia has moved to create an offensive joint strikingimportant military force comprising the navy and land and air forces;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Ζ
Recital Ζ
G. whereas Turkey is a NATO ally– despite the fact that it is a NATO Member State, a naval power, and an active regional foreign policy player and a key partner for the EU, not least in matters concerning energy and border security; whereas Turkey’s strategic location is also of high relevance to the other major threat facing both NATO and the EU, the self-proclaimed Daesh (Islamic– neither embraces the guidelines of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the EU, demonstrating tolerance towards illegal and terrorist actions carried out by the Islamic State, nor does it embrace the resolutions of the UN General Assembly, illegally occupying the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus, which is an EU Member State);
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Θ
Recital Θ
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Firmly sSupports the non-recognition of Russia’s annexation of the Crimea; reiterates its commitment to the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine and to the non- violability of borders; fully supports the European Council’s conclusions that the EU will not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, unless otherwise decided at UN level;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concern that the annexation of Crimea has precipitated a significant change in the strategic landscape of the Black Sea Basin and the adjacent area; warns that by occupyannexing the entire peninsula, Russia has gained a very important launching pad facinggreater breadth of influence both west (Transnistria and the Danube Mouths), the Balkans and south (the Eastern Mediterranean), where it has established a permanent naval task force, and that the illegal annexation of Crimea offers Russia a ‘southern Kaliningrad’, anothern outpost directly bordering on NATOthe EU, this time at sea;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes that the change in the strategic landscape, and the evolving military situation in the Black Sea Basin, are indicative of broader, systemic in the Black Sea Basin is a challenges to European security; believes that the EU and the Member States must have a security response to these challenges;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is deeply concerned about the current defensive and offensive military build-up of Russia in the Black Sea, and the planned expansion and modernisation of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, involving the addition of six new modern diesel submarines of the Rostov-on-Don type and six new frigates of the Admiral Grigorovich type; notes that the positioning of offensive air force assets, and the upgrading of Crimean military infrastructures, will enhance Russia’s offensive military posture and its ability to project power beyond its territory;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with concern that Russia has considerably bolstered its air and naval defences in the Black Sea Basin, deploying new naval defence (anti-ship) missiles (with a range of 600 km, able to reach the Bosphorus) and ensuring that Russian fighter planes control about three quarters of the Black Sea Basin airspace (by practically tripling the number of airports in Crimea); notes, in this regard, that Russia has bolstered its capabilities in both strategic and tactical terms: strategically, long-range bombers, capable of carrying cruise missiles, and reconnaissance aviation operating close to the western shores of the Black Sea, can penetrate deep into Central Europe; tactically, two naval infantry brigades – potentially supported by Mistral-type helicopter carriers – pose a significant potential landing threat;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that potential Russian deployment of dual-capable weapon systems in Crimea place in doubt Russia’s good intentions when it comes to achieving progress onjeopardises the multilateral nuclear disarmament agenda in the forthcoming Non- Proliferation Treaty review, undermining the efforts already made in that direction;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is deeply concerned by the extremely serious situation in eastern Ukraine –, where war is leading to the destabilisation of Ukraine and the region as a whole – including the apparent move to establish a land corridor linking Russian territory with Crimea through separatist-controlled territory along the western shore of the Azov Sea (Mariupol);
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. underlines that the relationship with Russia, being a major actor in the international system, should be cooperative rather than conflictual in the long run; is of the view, however, that in the short and medium term, owing to a lack of trust following Russia’s latest actions, any resumption of cooperation should continue to rely, firstly, on the strong strategic reassurance offered by NATOthe EU to its eastern members and, secondly, on the fact that there can be no political solution based on accepting the illegal annexation of Crimea;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. believes that, in the event that Russia or Ukraine does not honour the Minsk ceasefire agreement, and continues the destabilisation of eastern Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Crimea, the sanction regime should be continued and even strengthened, relevant measures may be taken;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. is concerned that the benefits of oil and gas exploitation and transportation in the Black Sea are increasingly dependent on the level of militarisation triggered by the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia and the subsequent build-up of its capabilities in the areapeaceful resolution of the problems that have arisen;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. underlines that NATO should preserve its general naval and air superioritybalance in the Black Sea Basin and maintain its capacity to monitor the area;