Allowing strikes deep into Russia more advantageous for Europe than continuously supplying Ukraine’s air defense – MEP

According to a report by Ukrinform, this was the view shared by German Member of the European Parliament Michael Gahler during the International Conference ‘Pan-European Idea for Victory and Peace in Ukraine’, held in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, on October 11–12.

“Regarding military aid to Ukraine, we are currently dissatisfied with the level of support from the EU countries. We are disappointed that there are still restrictions on the use of weapons provided to Ukraine against targets on the Russian territory. Therefore, it is much more logical for us to allow Ukraine to conduct long-range strikes against Russian military targets rather than exhausting its air defense systems and having us repeatedly supply more. It’s better to let Ukraine strike deep into Russia,” said the MEP.

Gahler noted that he had been serving in the European Parliament for over 25 years and had always supported Ukraine’s sovereignty and democratic development.

Following Russia’s occupation of Crimea and the beginning of its military actions in Luhansk and Donetsk, MEPs took a clear stance and supported sanctions against Russia. When Ukraine signed the Association Agreement with the EU, they assisted in implementing reforms to advance Ukraine's movement toward Europe.

“We have continued to support Ukraine’s European path even after President Zelensky took office. In parallel, as early as 2021, the European Parliament discussed Russia’s intentions to invade Ukraine, warning of the danger. We advocated for the introduction of pre-emptive sanctions against Russia and for providing military aid to Ukraine. After Russia’s full-scale invasion, we insisted on full EU membership for Ukraine, which ultimately led to candidate status,” added Gahler.

According to him, despite the presence of pro-Russian forces in some Western European countries, most European politicians understand that Ukraine is currently fighting a battle between dictatorship and freedom, brutality and peace.

“The struggle is happening not only in Ukraine but across Europe. Unfortunately, Ukraine is on the front lines of this fight. We are also suffering from cyberattacks and propaganda in the news and on social media. We must support Ukraine, but we also need to strengthen our own societies, which requires political leadership currently in short supply,” noted the German MEP.

The International Conference ‘Pan-European Idea for Victory and Peace in Ukraine’ was held on October 11–12 in Chernivtsi, with participants including Members of the European Parliament, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, international organizations, public figures, politicians, diplomats, experts, teachers, students, and local officials.

During the conference, the participants discussed key issues related to supporting Ukraine and European integration in the context of the ongoing war.