23 September 2026

President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola

“Crimea is Ukraine. Force may give you possession, but it can never give you title. What territory Russia has temporarily seized remains Ukrainian by law. No illegal referendum, no imposed passport, and no sham election can change that.”

President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola emphasized in her speech that the quickest way to end the war, achieve peace, and restore justice is for Russia to return to its internationally recognized borders.

She stressed that the human dimension must remain at the heart of international efforts, pointing out that nearly 4 million Ukrainians under occupation face severe repression, torture, child deportations, and systematic persecution, particularly of Crimean Tatars.

The European Union has already adopted 21 packages of sanctions against the Russian war machine and will continue to tighten restrictions and prevent circumvention.

“We will keep pushing for real peace and we will keep insisting on nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We were with Ukraine, we are with Ukraine, and we will be with Ukraine,” stated Roberta Metsola.

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