20 Amendments of Mirja VEHKAPERÄ related to 2018/2158(INI)
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU’s relations with Russia must be based on the principles of international law and credible deterrence, and on a principled approach in areas of common interest as defined in the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of 14 March 2016;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU remains open to such a stronger relationship and to dialogue leading thereto, and wishes to return to cooperative relations with Russia in the long run, should the Russian authorities meet their international and legal obligations; whereas constructive and predictable relationship would be mutually beneficial and ideally in the interest of both parties; whereas reciprocal sanctions are harmful to both economies;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the implementation of the Minsk Agreement remains a key precondition for closer cooperation with Russia;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas new areas of tension between the EU and Russia have arisen since 2015, including: Russian intervention in Syria; large-scale military exercises (Zapad 2017); russian interference aimed at influencing elections and stoking tensions in European societies; restrictions on fundamental freedoms and extensive human rights violations in Russia, including the systemic targeting of human rights defenders and civil society in Russia, discrimination against the Tatar minority in occupied Crimea, and the politically motivated persecution of Alexei Navalny and many others; cyber attacks and assassinations on European soil carried out by Russian intelligence agents using chemical weapons;several worrying domestic developments in Russia remain a concern, such as restrictions on fundamental freedoms and extensive human rights violations in Russia, including the systemic targeting of human rights defenders and civil society in Russia; the spread of the anti-LGTBI sentiment; the crackdown against political opposition, particularly the politically motivated persecution of Alexei Navalny and many others; the responses of Russian authorities to the iantimidation, arrest and imprisonment of foreign citizens in Russia in breach of international law, including Oleg Sentsov and many others; the organisation of illegal and illegitimate elections in the Donba-corruption protests in Russia in 2017 and 2018 including detentions and reported intimidation and harassment of protesters; flawed presidential elections in 2018 lacking any real choice and with restrictions on fundamental freedoms; violations of arms control agreementsthe oppressive climate for journalists and independent media with continued detentions of journalists and bloggers; the World Press Freedom Index ranking of Russia at 148 out of 180 on media freedom in 2018;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas new areas of tension between the EU and Russia have arisen since 2015, including: cyber attacks and the active use of hybrid warfare; the continued spreading of Russian propaganda and misinformation; Russian interference aimed at influencing elections and stoking tensions in European societies; the general implicit militarisation of the political climate in EU-Russian relations and attitudes in Russia to the use military power more naturally as an instrument of foreign policy; the continued actions of Russian jet fighters near the EU and NATO Member States; assassinations on European soil carried out by Russian intelligence agents using chemical weapons; the intimidation, arrest and imprisonment of foreign citizens in Russia in breach of international law, including the 2018 Sakharov Prize Laureate Oleg Sentsov and many others;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas Russia’s actions in its neighbourhood, as well as the security and arms control issue continue to raise concern, including Russian intervention in the war in Syria; violations of arms control agreements; the organisation of illegal and illegitimate elections in the Donbas in November 2018; discrimination against the Tatar minority in occupied Crimea;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
Fc. whereas the conflict in Eastern Ukraine has lasted more than four years and claimed more than 10,000 lives, almost one-third of them civilians, and thousands of conflict-related civilian injuries;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F d (new)
Recital F d (new)
Fd. whereas the tensions in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait have increased dangerously; whereas the November 2018 escalation in the Kerch strait was the first open involvement of the Russian military into clashes with Ukrainian military; whereas the actions of Russian authorities in the Kerch strait in general have been excessive and in breach of international maritime law and Russia's own international commitments, including actions such as the stopping and inspection of commercial vessels, including both Ukrainian ships and ships under the flags of various EU Member States; whereas these inspections seem to have been carried out for political reasons with the aim of further destabilising the security, integrity and social and economic situation in Ukraine;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas Russia’s polycentric vision of the concertntration of powers contradicts the EU’s belief in the multilateralism and a rules-based international order;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that Russia's direct and indirect involvement in armed conflicts and its illegal annexation of Crimea and over a decade-long violation of the territorial integrity of Georgia constitute a deliberate violation of democratic principles and fundamental values;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. BelievesIs concerned, however, that the Skripal case and cyber attacks orchestrated by the Russian intelligence services show an interest on the Russian side to further increase tensions in relations with the EU and its Member States;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights that the global challenges of climate change, energy security, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and, the fight against terrorism and organised crime, and developments in the sensitive Arctic environment call for selective engagement with Russia;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Stresses that the restrictive targeted measures related to Eastern Ukraine and the occupied Crimea are not directed against the Russian people but against certain individuals and enterprises connected to the Russian leadership;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Condemns Russia’s violation of the territorial integrity of neighbouring countries, including through the illegal kidnapping of citizens of those countries so that they can be charged before a Russian court;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Condemns the government’s continuing crackdown on dissent and media freedom as well as the repression of activists, political opponents and those who openly dissent with the government;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates its support for the five principles guiding the EU's policy towards Russia, and calls for further definition of the selective engagement principle; recommends that the focus be placed on issues relating to the MENA region, terrorism, non-proliferation, arms control and, climate change, and the Northern and Arctic region; calls for a high-level dialogue between EU, EEU and AA/DCFTA countries; reiterates that while consultations between the EU and Russia on cyber terrorism and organised crime need to continue, Russia’s systematic hybrid threats require strong deterrence; calls, in this context, for the initiation of a high-level EU-EEU-China-Central Asia dialogue on Belt and Road Initiative and connectivity;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that Russia and the EU will remain key economic partners in the foreseeable future, buis concerned that Nord Stream 2 reinforces EU dependency on Russian gas supplies, may threatens the EU internal market and ismay not be in line with EU energy policy, and therefore needs to be stopped;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Notes the continued constructive cooperation and the positive outcomes in the Northern dimension, especially in the field of environment;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Notes the importance of people-to- people contacts, for example through education and culture;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Believes that the EU should stand ready to consider adopting further sanctions, including targeted personal sanctions, in response to Russia’s continued actionshould Russia choose to continue directly or indirectly to destabilise Ukraine and to harm its territorial integrity; stresses, however, that these are not against the Russian people but targeted individuals;