09:50MEPs engaged in a heated debate at the European Parliament (EU) plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday, after the EU approved a loan worth up to €35 billion for Ukraine to be financed through revenues from frozen Russian assets, which some parliamentarians denounced as 'theft'.
"I'm sorry, you can find hundreds of excuses, but if you steal, if you steal Russian assets and that's what you're doing, then that is theft. Why do you need to steal? The US was guilty of unjustified assault on Iraq. Did you steal American assets then? Are you going to steal Israeli assets over the genocide against the Palestinian people? Come to your senses," Slovak MEP Lubos Blaha stated.
"It's unfair towards our own citizens. A few days ago, I was in Moscow. I saw Russia thriving. The only thing that can bring peace is dialogue with Russia, not theft, not arms, not dead Ukrainians. We need dialogue and respect and I will continue going to Russia because like all Slovaks, I believe in peace," he continued.
Polish MEP Grzegorz Braun said he would not 'take part in organised crime' by spending money that is 'simply not yours.'
"When you open this door, this gate, and you let yourself indulge yourself, take somebody else's money at this particular moment, then what happens next," he asked. French MEP Raphael Glucksmann warned about a potential Trump presidency and the consequences for Europe, claiming the bloc would be 'alone against Putin'.
"Are we ready for that? France is reducing its military aid. Our countries keep putting absurd restrictions on the use of European weapons by the Ukrainian resistance..we need to wake up and act," he added.
Meanwhile, German MEP Siegbert Droese called Ukraine a 'bottomless pit for financing,' condemning the use of 'taxpayers' money' for the benefit of a 'fascist regime' while Germany's. own needs were being neglected.
"Commissioner, you said the European Union is supporting projects which support European democratic values. Explain to me, what is the current Ukrainian government doing in terms of Europe's values? They cancelled elections, they did away with the opposition, they have abolished the rights of minorities and independent media, and yet you want to send them more and more money," Milan Uhrik, Slovak Member of the European Parliament (MEP) said.
"Everyone here is pretending that everything is alright. And yet, all of this money is flowing there, nobody is controlling what happens to it. This must stop," he added.
Polish MEP Tomasz Bucsez hit out at the 'destabilisation of the Polish farm market' and 'unfair competition' in the face of Europe's treatment of Ukraine.
"Whenever it comes to helping Ukraine, Ukraine is treated like it is a member state. But it doesn't have to obey CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) rules or take climate measures. It would be much easier to help Ukraine if our farmers were not discriminated against and did not have to suffer from the EU's sick climate policy," Bucsez said.
The new loan is the EU's share of a wider G7 commitment made in June to provide up to $50 billion in financial aid. The funds are part of a recently established Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, which redirects revenues generated from frozen Russian Central Bank assets in the EU to Ukraine.
The funds are scheduled to be disbursed by the end of 2025.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
'That's theft!' - MEPs engage in heated debate after EU approves €35 billion Ukraine loan backed by Russian assets
MEPs engaged in a heated debate at the European Parliament (EU) plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday, after the EU approved a loan worth up to €35 billion for Ukraine to be financed through revenues from frozen Russian assets, which some parliamentarians denounced as 'theft'.
"I'm sorry, you can find hundreds of excuses, but if you steal, if you steal Russian assets and that's what you're doing, then that is theft. Why do you need to steal? The US was guilty of unjustified assault on Iraq. Did you steal American assets then? Are you going to steal Israeli assets over the genocide against the Palestinian people? Come to your senses," Slovak MEP Lubos Blaha stated.
"It's unfair towards our own citizens. A few days ago, I was in Moscow. I saw Russia thriving. The only thing that can bring peace is dialogue with Russia, not theft, not arms, not dead Ukrainians. We need dialogue and respect and I will continue going to Russia because like all Slovaks, I believe in peace," he continued.
Polish MEP Grzegorz Braun said he would not 'take part in organised crime' by spending money that is 'simply not yours.'
"When you open this door, this gate, and you let yourself indulge yourself, take somebody else's money at this particular moment, then what happens next," he asked. French MEP Raphael Glucksmann warned about a potential Trump presidency and the consequences for Europe, claiming the bloc would be 'alone against Putin'.
"Are we ready for that? France is reducing its military aid. Our countries keep putting absurd restrictions on the use of European weapons by the Ukrainian resistance..we need to wake up and act," he added.
Meanwhile, German MEP Siegbert Droese called Ukraine a 'bottomless pit for financing,' condemning the use of 'taxpayers' money' for the benefit of a 'fascist regime' while Germany's. own needs were being neglected.
"Commissioner, you said the European Union is supporting projects which support European democratic values. Explain to me, what is the current Ukrainian government doing in terms of Europe's values? They cancelled elections, they did away with the opposition, they have abolished the rights of minorities and independent media, and yet you want to send them more and more money," Milan Uhrik, Slovak Member of the European Parliament (MEP) said.
"Everyone here is pretending that everything is alright. And yet, all of this money is flowing there, nobody is controlling what happens to it. This must stop," he added.
Polish MEP Tomasz Bucsez hit out at the 'destabilisation of the Polish farm market' and 'unfair competition' in the face of Europe's treatment of Ukraine.
"Whenever it comes to helping Ukraine, Ukraine is treated like it is a member state. But it doesn't have to obey CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) rules or take climate measures. It would be much easier to help Ukraine if our farmers were not discriminated against and did not have to suffer from the EU's sick climate policy," Bucsez said.
The new loan is the EU's share of a wider G7 commitment made in June to provide up to $50 billion in financial aid. The funds are part of a recently established Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, which redirects revenues generated from frozen Russian Central Bank assets in the EU to Ukraine.
The funds are scheduled to be disbursed by the end of 2025.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
MEPs engaged in a heated debate at the European Parliament (EU) plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday, after the EU approved a loan worth up to €35 billion for Ukraine to be financed through revenues from frozen Russian assets, which some parliamentarians denounced as 'theft'.
"I'm sorry, you can find hundreds of excuses, but if you steal, if you steal Russian assets and that's what you're doing, then that is theft. Why do you need to steal? The US was guilty of unjustified assault on Iraq. Did you steal American assets then? Are you going to steal Israeli assets over the genocide against the Palestinian people? Come to your senses," Slovak MEP Lubos Blaha stated.
"It's unfair towards our own citizens. A few days ago, I was in Moscow. I saw Russia thriving. The only thing that can bring peace is dialogue with Russia, not theft, not arms, not dead Ukrainians. We need dialogue and respect and I will continue going to Russia because like all Slovaks, I believe in peace," he continued.
Polish MEP Grzegorz Braun said he would not 'take part in organised crime' by spending money that is 'simply not yours.'
"When you open this door, this gate, and you let yourself indulge yourself, take somebody else's money at this particular moment, then what happens next," he asked. French MEP Raphael Glucksmann warned about a potential Trump presidency and the consequences for Europe, claiming the bloc would be 'alone against Putin'.
"Are we ready for that? France is reducing its military aid. Our countries keep putting absurd restrictions on the use of European weapons by the Ukrainian resistance..we need to wake up and act," he added.
Meanwhile, German MEP Siegbert Droese called Ukraine a 'bottomless pit for financing,' condemning the use of 'taxpayers' money' for the benefit of a 'fascist regime' while Germany's. own needs were being neglected.
"Commissioner, you said the European Union is supporting projects which support European democratic values. Explain to me, what is the current Ukrainian government doing in terms of Europe's values? They cancelled elections, they did away with the opposition, they have abolished the rights of minorities and independent media, and yet you want to send them more and more money," Milan Uhrik, Slovak Member of the European Parliament (MEP) said.
"Everyone here is pretending that everything is alright. And yet, all of this money is flowing there, nobody is controlling what happens to it. This must stop," he added.
Polish MEP Tomasz Bucsez hit out at the 'destabilisation of the Polish farm market' and 'unfair competition' in the face of Europe's treatment of Ukraine.
"Whenever it comes to helping Ukraine, Ukraine is treated like it is a member state. But it doesn't have to obey CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) rules or take climate measures. It would be much easier to help Ukraine if our farmers were not discriminated against and did not have to suffer from the EU's sick climate policy," Bucsez said.
The new loan is the EU's share of a wider G7 commitment made in June to provide up to $50 billion in financial aid. The funds are part of a recently established Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, which redirects revenues generated from frozen Russian Central Bank assets in the EU to Ukraine.
The funds are scheduled to be disbursed by the end of 2025.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.