Activities of Gabrielius LANDSBERGIS related to 2015/2036(INI)
Plenary speeches (4)
Strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia (A8-0171/2015 - Ioan Mircea Paşcu)
Strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia (debate)
Strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia (debate)
Strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the strategic military situation in the Black Sea Basin following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia PDF (170 KB) DOC (97 KB)
Amendments (17)
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the military balance in the Black Sea Basin has shifted following the illegal annexation of Crimea, and occupation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia with Russia now unlawfully controlling hundreds of kilometres of the Crimean and Abkhazian coastline and the adjacent waters facing NATO and EU maritime borders; whereas Russia has fuelled aggressive actions on Ukrainian territory;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas prior to the illegal annexation, Russian land and air forces in Crimea were minimal and concerned mainly with the defence of Sevastopol – main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet – and two adjacent naval bases; whereas through a military build-up in Crimea, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and in the Black Sea Basin following the annexation, Russia has moved to create an offensive joint striking force comprising the navy and land and air forces;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Russia has accelerated the expansion and modernisation of the Black Sea Fleet following the annexation; whereas the Black Sea Fleet modernisation plan is one of the most ambitious parts of the Russian State Arms Procurement programme for 2011-2020; whereas in December 2014 the Russian Government approved a new military doctrine which considers NATO as a main security threat to Russia; whereas in 2007 Russia has declared that it "suspends" its participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) and has fully withdrawn from the CFE on March 11, 2015;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the EU, NATO and the US have condemned the ‘treaty’ signed in November 2014 and in March 2015 between Russia and the separatist authorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in violation of the fundamental principles of the international law and Russia's international commitments, including those taken under the Ceasefire Agreement of 12 August 2008, and have reaffirmed their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas since the occupation by Russian forces, Abkhazia, Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, and, most lately, Crimea has been the scene of human rights abuses, affecting in particular Crimean Tatars;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concern that the annexation of Crimea has precipitated a significant change in the strategic landscape of the Black Sea Basin and the adjacent area; warns that by occupying the entire peninsula, Russia has gained a very important launching pad facing both west (Transnistria and the Danube Mouths), the Balkans and south (the Eastern Mediterranean), where it has established a permanent naval task force, and that the illegal annexation of Crimea offers Russia a ‘southern Kaliningrad’, another outpost directly bordering on NATO, this time at sea;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes that the change in the strategic landscape, and the evolving military situation in the Black Sea Basin, are indicative of broader, systemic challenges to European security; believes that the EU and the Member States must have a security response to these challenges; the EU should also strengthen its own resilience and respond to the challenge of weaponised information and information security;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes with concern continuous military build-up by Russia in occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia regions of Georgia. The military infrastructure of defensive and offensive character with a wide operational range, including the multiple launch rocket artillery battalions (so-called "Smerch", "Grad" and "Uragan" units), surface-to- air missile battalions (S-300, OSA, Tochka/Tochka U), surface-to-air missile artillery battalions (Strela-10, 2S6 Tunguska), self-propelled missile battalions (2S3 "Akatsia"), pose a serious threat to the whole Black Sea region. The sea area in the occupied Abkhazia region is controlled by the patrol-guard boats, including of the "Mangust" and "Sobol" types, based in the Ochamchire and Sokhumi port;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines that the relationship with Russia, being a major actor in the international system, should be cooperative rather than conflictual in the long run; is of the view, however, that in the short and medium term, owing to a lack of trust following Russia’s latest actions, any resumption of cooperation should continue tofirmly rely, firstly, on the strong strategic reassurance offered by NATO to its eastern members and, secondly, on the fact that there can be no pola change of Russian policy towards Ukraine, in particular the full and unconditiconal solution based on accepting the illegal annexation of Crimeaimplementation of the Minsk agreements of September 2014 and February 2015, including the restoration of the control of the Ukrainian authorities over its territory within internationally recognised borders, that is return of Crimea to Ukraine;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the need to bring back to balance the strategic landscape in the Black Sea Basin; reminds that this can be done by further increased NATO and US deployments in the region thus increasing the deterrence of most affected allies and NATO as a whole in this particular region; believes, that littoral states can make important input by joining their efforts, therefore, calls on Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to start considering a creation of a joint battalion and NATO Member States to consider support for such initiative;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Calls on EU Member States to remain firm and united in committing to the agreed sanctions against Russia, also by freezing all military and defence cooperation and cancelling contracts, such as delivery of Mistral class amphibious assault ships to Russia;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Reminds that the EU must stay united and speak with a single voice in the face of the Russian hybrid war in Ukraine; strongly believes that unity is the prerequisite of an effective response to all security threats and political challenges resulting from a mix of Russian military and non-military actions in Ukraine;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Reminds that on 16 July 2014 the Council of the European Union lifted the arms embargo on Ukraine and thus there are now no objections, including legal restrictions, for Member States to provide defensive arms to Ukraine;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines that the Black Sea region should have real priority for the EU; considers that the current Black Sea Synergy (BSS) format is outdated; calls again on the Commission and the EEAS to draw up a comprehensive EU Strategy for the Black Sea region; calls on review of European Security Strategy and expects that the review of the European Neighbourhood Policy will bring about increased CSDP cooperation with Black Sea littoral partner states;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Reminds that particularly due to the security situation in the Black Sea Basin all EU Members states need to enjoy the same level of security in line with article 42 (7) TEU;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Welcomes NATO Allies commitment during the last NATO Summit in Newport of reaching the 2% GDP level of defence spending within the next ten years; expresses concern following announcements of some allies who declared new cuts and in this context reminds article 3 of the Washington Treaty;