- Pyongyang’s involvement and Russia’s testing of new ballistic missiles in Ukraine mark “a new phase in the war”
- Call on Beijing to end all military or dual-use assistance given to Russia
- MEPs ask for more sanctions against sectors of special economic importance for Russia
In a resolution adopted on Thursday (28 November), the European Parliament condemned Russia’s use of North Korean troops against the Ukrainian army and its testing of new ballistic missiles in Ukraine. These recent escalatory steps represent a new phase in the war and a new risk for Europe’s security as a whole, MEPs argue, calling on the EU and Ukraine’s other partners to respond accordingly.
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Further sanctions for countries providing military support to Russia
Denouncing Iran, Belarus and North Korea for their military support of Russia, MEPs urge the EU member states to further strengthen the sanctions regime against these countries. They stress that both Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and North Korea’s participation in the war and its nuclear and missile programmes constitute grave threats to the rules-based international order.
Involvement of China
MEPs also call on Beijing to end all military or dual-use assistance it is giving to Russia, adding that a refusal to change course risks seriously affecting bilateral EU-China relations. Instead, China could use its significant influence over North Korea and Russia to help reduce tensions, they say.
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Because if you have a gun and no scruples it becomes easy to take the things of people with no gun. Positions of power attract people with no scruples and can provide guns (that you don’t even have to fire yourself). The only known effective means of defending against them is by making sure your country has guns (on the national level) and a government with scruples.
Does it suck? Yes. Do we have an alternative? None that works.