Russia’s ruthless and brutal invasion of Ukraine has finally torn away the mask that had long been slipping from the face of Putin’s regime. This invasion is not limited to Ukraine and its citizens alone — it is at the same time an attack on freedom, democracy, international law, world peace and humanity itself. The EU and its allies have responded to Russia’s actions with forceful measures, but given the severity of Russia’s crimes, what we have done for Ukraine so far is not enough. It is almost impossible to overreact, and the risk of underdelivering is all the greater. We have therefore drawn up the following list, in which we state our wishes and demands to the EU and our allies. Our most heartfelt request is that every point on this list be implemented in full, without yielding to barbaric threats and without abandoning Ukraine’s European people.
– Russia must be cut off from the SWIFT payment system in its entirety, for as long as Russia occupies Ukrainian territory.
– Projects in Europe that serve Russia’s strategic interests, such as Nord Stream 2 and Fennovoima, must be shut down as part of safeguarding our own security, and replaced with new projects owned by the EU itself.
– The granting of visas to Russian oligarchs and their inner circles must be stopped until the Russian state ceases all military action on Ukrainian territory.
– In addition to closing airspace, other Russian land and sea routes must also be blocked throughout the EU, until the Russian state ceases all military action on Ukrainian territory.
– The buying and selling of the Russian rouble (RUB), and its status as an accepted means of payment, must be discontinued by European banks until the Russian state ceases all military action on Ukrainian territory.
– In addition to freezing assets, all property belonging to Russian oligarchs located within the EU must be expropriated, until Russia ceases all military action in Ukraine.
– Invoking Article 42.7 of the Treaty of Lisbon, in response to Russia’s threats — particularly those directed at EU member states Sweden and Finland — the EU’s Military Committee must respond by launching a coordinated military operation among EU member states, aimed at repelling any potential Russian military action against the Union.
– The EU must carry out a comprehensive investigation into actors that serve Russia’s interests but sit outside Putin’s immediate inner circle, and bring these actors within the scope of sanctions.
– The export to Russia of all raw materials significant to the arms industry, such as metals used in the manufacture of armour or chemicals refined into weapons, must be halted.
– The European Union must grant Ukraine a comprehensive economic support package as well as access to generous loan agreements that support Ukraine’s resilience during the invasion.
– The European Union must immediately draw up a strategic regulation that allows us to prevent property, land and infrastructure important to our security from ending up in the ownership of parties outside the Union. In addition, property, land and infrastructure already owned by parties outside the Union must be assessed from a defence-strategic perspective and, where necessary, transferred back into the Union’s ownership.
The European Union is, and has always been, a peace project. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shattered the long-standing stability of Europe and, in doing so, has challenged the European Union’s role as the guardian of peace. We recognise that, once fulfilled, our demands will also cause pain for Europeans and could potentially trigger a deep economic crisis. But we make our demands regardless, because we recognise our duty. It is our duty to answer Russia’s challenge and give Ukraine every ounce of support we have to give. It is our duty to pressure Russia’s war machine and strip it of vital access to materials and funds. It is our duty to organise ourselves internally and form a credible front capable of responding to Russia’s threats and guaranteeing Europe’s security. It is our duty to cut our dependence on this bloodthirsty ruler’s resources and hold Vladimir Putin accountable for his actions. Let this list serve as a guiding line for what we must do, and as a reminder that as long as Putin is spilling Ukrainian blood, we have not yet done enough.
JEF Helsinki