EU lawmakers passed a wide-ranging joint declaration on March 12 condemning the U.S. for "blackmailing" Ukrainian leadership into capitulating to Russia.
The declaration comes a day after Ukraine's Presidential Office announced it was ready to accept Washington's proposal of a 30-day ceasefire, so long as Russia also complies with the terms. When Kyiv agreed to the plan, Washington resumed previously suspended shipments of military aid.
The joint statement "strongly deplores any attempts at blackmailing Ukraine's leadership into surrender to the Russian aggressor for the sole purpose of announcing a so-called 'peace deal.'"
Russian President Vladimir Putin is now being "rewarded" for Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the resolution says.
The declaration accuses the U.S. of trying "to negotiate a ceasefire and peace agreement with Russia over the heads of Ukraine and other European states." It also denounces the U.S. for being "counterproductive and dangerous."
Support for Ukraine must be increased in the face of the foreign policy shift in Washington, the joint declaration says.
The lawmakers proposed to further "increase the effectiveness and impact of sanctions on Russia in order to definitively undermine Russia's ability to continue waging its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and threatening the security of other European countries."
The resolution was passed by 440 lawmakers in the European Parliament, which consists of 720 seats. Signatories included members of many political parties, including Greens, Socialists & Democrats, Christian Democrats, and far-right conservatives.
The U.S. has infuriated many lawmakers in Europe by repeatedly saying it will exclude the continent from potential Ukraine peace negotiations. Top European officials have decried the White House for pandering to Russia.
Despite the condemnation from members of the European Parliament (MEPs), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on March 12 praised the outcome of Ukraine's recent talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed the EU's support for the embattled nation.
Chris York
(Updated: )
