What Anna spoke about.

8 Jun

2022

EN Speech

Violations of media freedom and safety of journalists in Georgia

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Madam President, colleagues, EU integration enjoys enormous support from the Georgian people. Many governments and members of the political elite of Georgia contributed to this result. The most prominent of them are now in prison. The third president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, as well as Nika Gvaramia, the one-off subject of today’s debate, appealed to us, the best friends of Georgia, despit…

7 Jun

2022

PL Speech

The EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, thank you very much. In August 2008, Russia launched an unjustified aggression against Georgia. This happened under the previous Presidency, under the French Presidency. Countries such as the United States and the countries of my region belonging to the European Union, under the leadership of Polish President Lech Kaczyński, were the ones who supported Georgia in defending its indepe…

6 Jun

2022

EN Speech

The EU and the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific (debate)

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Mr President, much has changed in our approach to the Indo-Pacific since the famous negotiations of the CAI in December 2020. The report being discussed today is probably the best example of this change. Yet when we see the recommendation of and think about earlier meanders and mistakes in our policies towards the region, similar to the meanders and mistakes of policies vis—à—vis Russia, we have t…

19 May

2022

EN Speech

The fight against impunity for war crimes in Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, colleagues, yes certainly for decades the Russian Federation was able to turn the attention of the West from the immediate neighbourhood and the will to conquer neighbours, to global issues. Now it is impossible. We are aware of all the atrocities happening in Ukraine during this appalling invasion that is next stage of the war that started in 2014. Russia is to be defeated in this w…

18 May

2022

EN Speech

EU Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova (debate)

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Mr President, luckily, today we send a really powerful signal to the Moldovan people in an extremely difficult time, surviving a period of instability, difficulties after COVID – yet showing enormous generosity in welcoming Ukrainians fleeing atrocities in a war waged by Russia in Ukraine. It is an enormously powerful message by Maia Sandu’s statement here in the European Parliament and by a very …

5 May

2022

EN Speech

State of play of the EU-Moldova cooperation (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, I salute the Moldovan authorities and people for warmly welcoming Ukrainians fleeing war. For years, I have supported the Ukrainian drive to try to achieve a European future, a really European future, to obtain accession to the EU. Also, I support the sovereign, independent statehood of this country and welcome pro-European changes in the political scene. Al…

4 May

2022

EN Speech

Threats to stability, security and democracy in Western and Sahelian Africa (debate)

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Madam President, I commend the Commissioner’s very accurate analysis of this situation. Unfortunately, since the announcement of the integrated EU—Africa strategy, all characteristics that are there and all pillars show even the deterioration of the situation, and we have to surely step up our efforts in all areas using all instruments available in order to face this challenge. We can name all are…

6 Apr

2022

PL Speech

Increasing repression in Russia, including the case of Alexey Navalny

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Mr President, thank you very much. After the collapse of the original concept of the invasion of the Russian Federation, it returned to what General Ben Hodges, a former commander of the US forces in Europe, called ‘default settings’ in computer language: rape, murder, destruction, persecution, state terror. This he does in the war in Ukraine, a country that Russia does not recognise as a state wh…

6 Apr

2022

PL Speech

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 March 2022: including the latest developments of the war against Ukraine and the EU sanctions against Russia and their implementation (debate)

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Madam President, I'm sorry. Each of us, active politicians, will one day hear the question: “What have you done to stop Russia? What did you do when the beasts murdered Ukrainians, women, children, the elderly?” Their bodies bear traces of actions that clearly indicate crimes against humanity. Evil must be called evil. It is our duty, our legal duty under international law, to do everything possib…

5 Apr

2022

EN Speech

Outcome of the EU-China Summit (1 April 2022) (debate)

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Madam President, certainly a recent summit with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was very special. Since the full-scale unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia, we look towards policies, statements and the strategic stance of the PRC with increased concern, noting declarations in Beijing, its behaviour at the level of the UN and also practical actions taken. We hope, though, that this efficie…

23 Mar

2022

EN Speech

Debriefing of the European Council meeting in Paris on 10 March 2022 - Preparation of the European Council meeting 24-25 March 2022 (debate)

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Madam President, it may be difficult, costly and painful, yet we have to make everything possible to assist Ukraine in defeating the empire of evil. First, by imposing further sanctions and thus stopping financing of the Russian war machine. Then, to assist in combating the aggressor. Last but absolutely not least, to bring all perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity – each and ever…

10 Mar

2022

EN Speech

Destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh

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Madam President, the fate of cultural heritage in armed conflict is a matter of utmost importance. I dedicated a lot of my time in the Parliament to this issue. That includes, of course, Nagorno-Karabakh. Yes, we have to remember that both sides in recent phases of conflict used a lot of information – actually, disinformation – using it as warfare, actually, so we have to rely on impartial sources…

9 Mar

2022

EN Speech

Debate with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas - The EU's role in a changing world and the security situation of Europe following the Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine (debate)

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Madam President, we used to call the Soviet Union ‘the empire of evil and the prison of nations.’ Now looking, listening to news after the bloody, awful, full—scale, cruel aggression of Russian Federation on Ukraine, we feel an unbearable . Once more willing to call it like this. Ukrainians fight what we call ‘bellum iustum’ – a war that is just – because with arms in their hands, they defend thei…

8 Mar

2022

EN Speech

The situation in Bosnia Herzegovina (debate)

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Mr President, the only way to ensure stability and full sovereignty of countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as other partners like Georgia and Moldova, is the final surrender of Putin’s Russian Federation in bloody war waged against Ukraine, withdrawal from all internationally recognised territories of Ukraine and from meddling in the whole region and elsewhere in the world. I think that…

1 Mar

2022

EN Speech

Russian aggression against Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, I salute the heroism and resistance of the Ukrainian people facing the unprecedented aggression from the Kremlin, Putin’s Russian Federation. I really admire the heroism of the Ukrainian leadership. President Zelenskyy already finds his place in universal history. I admire the heroism of the commanders, soldiers and in particular, ordinary people. You are invincible. It is our war as…

17 Feb

2022

EN Speech

Political crisis in Burkina Faso

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Madam President, a few years ago here in the European Parliament, MEPs put aside their political divisions to discuss informally possibilities for really bad scenarios in Burkina Faso, as a potential place of changes in the Sahel. Unfortunately, COVID exacerbated this situation. Now we have a coup d’état but there is still a path to improve this situation. We join the African Union and ECOWAS in a…

17 Feb

2022

EN Speech

The death penalty in Iran

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Mr President, over political divisions here in the European Parliament, we raise our voice in defence of the Iranian people. Since 1988, the massacre, there are ongoing crimes against humanity. We speak about the so-called death penalty, but what kind of penalty is that? In many cases it is just extra-judiciary crime and simply swift executions without even the pretence of judicial or court procee…

16 Feb

2022

EN Speech

EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia’s military threat against Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, Putin’s Russia supporting ethnic cleansing, then self-determination, using hybrid war, political corruption and energy blackmail against the West, killing opponents on our territories. The aggressor, always pre-empting non-existent strikes in its propaganda. We have to stay united and firm. I stand by Ukraine. They know it. I stand by the people of Belarus and free Georgian society. …

15 Feb

2022

EN Speech

Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2021 - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2021 (debate)

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Mr President, in the huge security crisis posed by Russia, in threatening further aggression on Ukraine and posing unacceptable security demands the collective West, we build step—by—step unity and consensus, sometimes with difficulty; yet now we agree to pair a dialogue with deterrence, and building necessary resilience of our countries. We see the value of this approach, and probably the real va…

15 Feb

2022

EN Speech

EU-Africa relations (debate)

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Madam President, I share Mr High Representative / Vice—President’s positive approach to Africa, and welcome the initiatives to be presented during the summit. I also note positive developments like, for example, possibilities for gas supplies from Nigeria to even Europe, diversifying our sources. But my concerns are predominantly about the security situation in Africa, from the Horn of Africa via …

19 Jan

2022

EN Speech

Situation in Kazakhstan

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Mr President, many things are still unclear in the events of this month in Kazakhstan, yet one thing is deadly clear: the enormous use of force by many parties to those events. Let me quote one document that is available on the web page of CSTO, the organisation led by the Kremlin – by Vladimir Putin – from the meeting of leaders on 10 July, where he said that he was not willing to allow further ‘…

19 Jan

2022

EN Speech

Violations of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong

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Mr President, I fully support the statements of my colleagues, the co—authors of this draft resolution, and hope for broad support in the vote. Certainly, after the adoption of the so—called national security law, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was even able to tighten its autocratic grip on the freedom—loving population of Hong Kong, in particular curbing all manifestations of free politica…

16 Dec

2021

EN Speech

The situation in Cuba, namely the cases of José Daniel Ferrer, Lady in White Aymara Nieto, Maykel Castillo, Luis Robles, Félix Navarro, Luis Manuel Otero, Reverend Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, Andy Dunier García and Yunior García Aguilera

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Mr President, for the third time, despite COVID restrictions, we refer to urgent procedures to expose atrocities by the Cuban communist regime against its own people, not to speak about full debates when we discuss all issues. Yes, we do have agreement with Cuba, but to provide argumentation to one of the authors, there are no common values, no common principles, between us. There are deep systemi…

16 Dec

2021

EN Speech

Continuous crackdown on civil society and human rights defenders in Russia: the case of human rights organisation Memorial

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Madam President, by this debate, our humble statements, we pay highest tribute to all activists of Memorial. We are extremely grateful for their work in both remits. First, the historic research exposing crimes of Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union, as well as crimes of Putin’s regime in the contemporary Russian Federation. And the second remit, defence of human rights in the Russian Federation …

14 Dec

2021

PL Speech

Situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, thank you very much. Forty years ago, with a cover of 10 million Poles, just like me, in love with Solidarity, she asked herself: Will they come in, won't they? It was about the Kremlin in the communist system at the time. For eight years, since Maidan, Ukrainians have been doing it. Every now and then, they have to deal with the threat, the growing danger – since 2014 with the annex…