Speeches

Madam President, for years, Russia has been keeping their military in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova against the will of the governments of those countries, thereby impeding the normal development of these countries. Also, in the current situation where Russia has surrounded Ukraine with its military, carries a purpose that Ukraine itself should not be able to decide on its future. Russia’s goal is to get Ukraine into its sphere of influence. It wants Ukraine to give up its path towards the EU and NATO. So far, Ukraine has managed to endure, despite the huge pressure. Democratic western countries should not make things more difficult for Ukraine. This means that we must remain with the Ukrainians by supporting them every way we can. It means also a physical presence in Ukraine. Above all, we must maintain a strong and visible diplomatic presence in Ukraine. The continuous and high-level presence of democracies in Kyiv and in other parts of Ukraine is of essence, especially these days.

Dear Mr President, Russia's behaviour towards Ukraine has once again confirmed the need for comprehensive security cooperation between democracies. This concerns the structure and functioning of the European Union's common security and defence policy, the smooth and unrivalled cooperation of the European Union with NATO, including the United States, as well as with other democratic countries that are not members of the European Union and NATO. Only then can the international ambitions of major authoritarian regimes to determine the present and future of other countries be held back. Russia's goal is to get Ukraine into its sphere of influence. So that Ukraine would stop moving towards the European Union and NATO. Ukraine has so far withstood great pressure, and now the Western democracies themselves must not make it even more difficult for Ukraine. This means, among other things, that it is necessary to be with the Ukrainians in difficult times. And this is about the real presence of democracies in Ukraine today. Diplomatic missions should not be closed there, but rather new ones should be opened. Thank you!

Madam President, Lukashenko thinks nothing of human lives, as he has recently demonstrated by his actions, where thousands of people were manipulated into leaving their homes and travelling to Belarus with hopes of finding a shortcut to Europe. Such manipulation of human lives sounds and seems like an act of international crime, and, as such, the actions of Lukashenko must be judged by international judicial bodies and the United Nations. After all, using migrants at the cost of their lives in order to achieve Lukashenko’s cynical political interests is not only an aggression against the European Union but against the world as a whole, considering that migration is a global issue and problem. On the issue of new sanctions, these are inevitable and must, among others, be aimed at the Belarusian national airline Belavia, that directly participated and participates in human trafficking. This means taking back airplanes of EU origin from Belavia, and a total ban on the sale of aircraft parts to Belarus. Only by combining different measures will it be possible to prevent the next madness and crimes of the Belarusian dictator.

Mr President, it has been over half a year since the military forces in Myanmar violently took power, arrested its political leaders and issued a state of emergency. In response to the coup, protests broke out and the security forces have targeted protesters, resulting in the killing of over a 1 000 people, more than 8 000 detained and over 230 000 people displaced, adding to the number of displaced people in Myanmar, now at over half a million. Torture is widely used, and the United Nations special rapporteur has indicated that the junta’s widespread systematic attacks against the people of Myanmar, likely amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes under international law. This crisis has been worsened due to a severe economic crisis and the COVID—19 health care crisis. Health care workers are attacked, health facilities destroyed or medical equipment confiscated. Plus, the Rohingya issue – the Rohingya ethnic minority are continuously targeted and denied their existence by the same Tatmadaw that oversaw the mass atrocities committed against Rohingya since 2017. The human rights violations must stop immediately. Prisoners must be released. The European Council must continue to impose targeted sanctions against those responsible for the coup and those responsible for the atrocities against Rohingya and other citizens of Myanmar.

Madam President, rapid climate change in the Arctic causes environmental, social, economic and also security challenges. The melting of the ice cap creates new passageways, allows access to natural resources and therefore increases strategic competition opportunities and also potential risks in the region. It is in the interests of all active in the region to maintain a stable environment in the Arctic by cooperation and coordination. The EU needs to be constantly aware of these rapid changes in the Arctic and needs to have a new Arctic policy. I am looking forward to the joint communication from the Commission on the New Arctic Strategy that will be released on 13 October. The EU has a clear role in fighting climate change and in advancing sustainable development, but it is necessary to be engaged also in matters of security, taking into account Russia’s active militarisation in the region. It means a clear vision on the role of the EU in security matters and an acknowledgement that cooperation in Arctic matters is the key with Arctic countries, within the EU and also with NATO. The European Union must also continue to strive for official observer status in the Arctic Council. And, of course, we cannot forget indigenous people. Finally, I think that the EU should also open a permanent representation both in Greenland and in the Faroe Islands.

Madam President, yesterday Facebook and its products like WhatsApp and Instagram went down. This was supposedly just a technical problem and not a cyberattack. But all over the world, communications were hampered. The usual information flow stopped. But we might have bigger scares, see bigger damage and even human losses if a state or non-state actor decides to attack our critical infrastructure, like hospitals, energy or transport, or to meddle in elections. The recent Pegasus spyware scandal has shown the vulnerability of journalists, human rights activists, elected representatives and other citizens that were massively spied on. More connectivity means more vulnerabilities. In recent years, the EU has seen a continuous growth in cyber operations conducted by state and non-state actors against the EU and its Member States, revealing vulnerabilities in networks essential to European security. These days, every conflict has a cyber-element to it. It is important for the EU and its Member States to strengthen cyber-resilience and develop common cybersecurity and defence capabilities, in order to respond to such security challenges. President von der Leyen said in her State of the Union address that, given that resources were scarce, we had to bundle our forces. We should not just settle for addressing the cyberthreat, but should also strive to become a leader in cybersecurity. If the EU wants to be seen at the forefront of digital ambitions, it must increase its technological sovereignty and innovation, and be ready to raise the level of its cybersecurity. A common cyber-defence policy and increased cooperation at EU level to develop common and improved cyber-defence capabilities are essential elements in building a stronger European Defence Union. The borderless nature of cyberspace – as well as the substantial number and increasing complexity of cyberattacks – requires a coordinated Union-level response, including common Member State support capabilities and Member State support for measures in the EU cyber-diplomacy toolbox, as well as intensified EU—NATO cooperation, based on information-sharing between cyber-crisis response teams, the exchange of best practices, enhanced training, research and exercises. The European External Action Service and the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, need to develop a comprehensive set of measures and a coherent policy on cybersecurity, in order to enhance resilience and coordination on cyber-defence. It is essential for the Member States to significantly increase classified information-sharing capacities in order to facilitate information-sharing where needed and useful, and to develop a rapid and secure European network to detect, assess and counter cyberattacks. The EU has taken many measures to raise the level of its cybersecurity and cyber-defence capabilities. It has adopted and applied a legal framework for targeted restrictive measures against cyberattacks, and EU-NATO cooperation has increased in the cyber-defence field too. But even more coordinated Union level action is needed. The review of the Cyber Defence Policy Framework should strive to enhance coordination between EU actors and also between and with Member States. PESCO offers excellent ways to speed up cybersecurity initiatives and should be used to that end. The strategic compass should be used to deepen the strategic culture in the cyber domain and help to overcome the current fragmentation and complexity of the overall cyber architecture within the EU and remove any duplication of capabilities and mandates. Fragmentation carries serious issues with resources that need to be addressed. The establishment of a joint cyber unit is needed to increase cooperation and information—sharing between EU institutions and enable the full use of existing structures, resources and capabilities. Increased funding is needed for the CERT-EU and the EU Intelligence and Situation Centre, and to support Member States in establishing and strengthening security operation centres in order to build a network of these centres across the EU. It is also important to improve citizens’ skills and raise public awareness on cyberattacks and how individuals can defend themselves against these attacks. More operational assistance is needed between Member States. Trust also needs to be built, as this is still one of the big obstacles. Common exercises and scenario-based policy discussions on crisis management are important in this regard. We are witnessing increasingly aggressive behaviour from Russia, China and North Korea in cyberspace, and it is clear that in order to be successful in overcoming threats to Euro-Atlantic security interests, increased coordination with NATO is needed. For this, coordinated exercises and joint training are indispensable. We need to look for possible complementarities with NATO to avoid duplication and acknowledge that respective responsibilities and coordinated exercises and joint trainings are indispensable. Functioning deterrence can be achieved when the adversaries have a better awareness of the possible countermeasures. Increased cooperation with NATO allies, like-minded countries, United Nations and the OSCE is also needed. Member States and the EU should also be at the forefront of discussions under the United Nations to help promote responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. Finally, I would like to thank all my colleagues and staff that have helped to draft this report. I wish you all a good debate and hope that you can support this report.

Mr President, when we speak about EU-Russia relations we cannot forget the conflicts and the Russian military presence in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. For example it has been now 13 years since the Russian invasion of Georgia, where the Russian occupation forces have engaged in an illegal military build-up and so-called borderisation; undertaken kidnappings and illegal detentions; continued closure of the occupation line. The Russian Federation needs to cease its illegal actions directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, but also Ukraine and Moldova, and implement international obligations and withdraw its military forces from the territory of these countries. It is up to the European Union to give a clear signal that our policy will not change until Russia starts to respect international law, and the territorial integrity of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine is restored within their internationally recognised borders.