The Return of Crimea as a Prerequisite for Removing Sanctions Against Russia

• 02.05.2016, 18:20
•  Europe,  World

The European Parliament has named the return of Crimea to Ukraine as one of the pre-requisites for removing the sanctions against Russia. The corresponding resolution on the anti-Russian sanction was passed by the Parliament.

The resolution was supported by 472 MPs, 79 voted against, while still 33 abstained.

"The restoration of Ukrainian control over the peninsula is one of the prerequisites for re-establishing cooperative relations with the Russian Federation, including the suspension of related sanctions," the document reads, Informing reports. 

The text also says that the MPs reiterate their strong commitment to the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and recall their "severe condemnation of the illegal annexation by Russia of the Crimean peninsula."

In addition, the resolution condemned the "unprecedented militarization of Crimea by Russia, which has a negative impact on the economic and social life of the peninsula."

The European Parliament also calls on the European Council "to continue with these sanctions until the completion of Crimea’s full reintegration into the legal order of Ukraine."  

The mentioned sanctions include ban on importing Crimean goods to Europe, ban on import of several Crimean goods, technology, as well as ban on investments in the Crimean economy.

Together with this, the deputies welcomed the decision of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to send his Special Representative for Human Rights to Crimea and look forward to his findings. 

It is noteworthy, however, that only recently in one of her speeches, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that the issue of Crimea is no longer on the agenda, and there are currently more controversial topics, such as EU migration crisis, the situation in Syria, as well as Turkey related problems, etc. Anyway, the EU has apparently again returned to its discontent with Russia to put pressure on the country, this time using another tool for raising the issue of Crimea.