Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-10-27-Speech-3-142"
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"en.20041027.9.3-142"2
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"Mr President, is Europe aware of what is happening in Ukraine? The media launch constant attacks on the opposition candidate, Mr Yushchenko, who is not allowed to appear on state radio and television. Rallies held by the opposition are disrupted by hecklers and journalists are intimidated. That is not the worst of it, however. The young Ukrainian democracy would be able to cope with such trials, but it cannot cope if those seeking to destroy it receive support from outside, namely from Russia. President Putin is quite clearly backing Mr Yanukovich. His current visit to Kiev, during the final days of the election campaign, is an obvious interference in Ukraine’s domestic affairs. It is reminiscent of a Tsar’s visit to a subordinate province. In addition, the announcement that 45 electoral committees are to be set up for Ukrainians living in Russia casts doubt on the credibility of the election results. Yet Ukraine is no exception. Russia also remains indifferent to the Belarussian regime’s brutal violations of democracy, as well as to the repeated calls by this House and by the Council of Europe to search for political solutions to the bloody conflict in Chechnya.
Poland has always shown staunch support for Ukraine’s ambitions to join the Western community of European nations, and will continue to do so. The simple truth is that Ukraine is a state of strategic importance for Western Europe, both from an economic and security point of view and in terms of geopolitical balance in Europe. If the European Commission has no doubts as to the legitimacy of recommending Turkey, a ‘yes’ for Ukraine can only be a matter of time. We should make every effort to reduce this time to an absolute minimum.
Our first step should be to say a clear ‘no’ to Russia. I therefore call on this House to ensure that the issue of elections in Ukraine is not passed over by the Member States during the upcoming summit between the European Union and Russia on 11 November. I would also call for every effort to be made during the next two weeks, which are crucial for Ukraine, to prevent Russia taking any action to strengthen autocratic tendencies in its neighbours. This is my appeal to you, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Verheugen. We must not tolerate the creation of a new iron curtain."@en1
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