Upon my request, the European Parliament is going to hold a debate on Dec. 10 and adopt a resolution on Dec. 12, taking a strong stance against the brutal and absolutely inadmissible use of force by the authorities against peaceful protesters, who took to the streets to express their strong disapproval of President Yanukovych’s decision to withdraw from signing the association agreement with the EU. We as the European Parliament deplore this turn of events, though few of us can say that we were surprised by the final outcome of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius. For some months doubts about the Yanukovych administration’s true intentions regarding the EU association were only growing, and the cat-and-mouse game with releasing (or not) former Prime Minister YuliaTymoshenko, and then moving to financial claims in negotiations with the EU, was a part of a cold calculation to keep things in a stalemate.
Yanukovych, as incumbent president, remains maybe the official interlocutor for his counterparts in other countries and international organizations. But it is now the people, those people in the streets, resisting violence, fighting the cold, sacrificing days and nights to stand by their EU aspirations, which have become the true owner of Ukraine’s fate and the conveyer of its will.
It is them we should listen to and support.
The European Parliament is going to underline the importance of giving Ukraine a European perspective and insist on the strategic dimension of deepening mutual relations. By doing so, it wants to make clear that the offer of association is still on the table, as initialed, and that the EU is ready to sign it, of course on condition that Ukraine – with current or new authorities – commits to its European aspirations and then swiftly acts upon its words. The European Parliament will strongly defend the association agreement as a strictly bilateral matter between Ukraine and the EU. Therefore, it will strongly oppose any interference by third parties, condemning all means of political and economic pressure exerted upon Ukraine so far. The EU should also reinforce its macroeconomic support for Ukraine, provide help in negotiating the scope and conditions of assistance with the IMF and carry on its engagement for Ukraine’s full inclusion into the EU internal energy market. To this aim, the EU should send a special, high-level mission to Ukraine to help mediate a peaceful solution between the protesters and the authorities. Finally, we will call for a generous and robust opening of all possible types of contacts and involvement between the EU and the civil society, a swift agreement on a visa free movement, stronger scientific cooperation and youth exchanges.
People have been protesting in EuroMaidan demonstrations across Ukraine for 16 days now. During this time, not once has president Yanukovych confronted the people. Instead, he went abroad to pursue business as usual. Maybe he hopes that the weather will be his ally, driving away people whose determination might fade in view of the cold. Maybe he counts on international attention to soon subside and turn elsewhere. This must not happen. This is why I am going to come to Kyiv to be with protesters and opposition at EuroMaidan and convey the message from the Eastern Partnership and European Parliament of strong support for the European cause for which they are so adamantly standing up.
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski is a member of the European Parliament and the vice president of the Eastern Partnership Project.
