Debate contributions by Marina KALJURAND

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, Belarus has recently intensified hybrid operations against Lithuania. We express solidarity with Lithuania and fully support Lithuania's right to take proportionate measures to protect its sovereignty, public order and safety. But I would like to broaden the picture. Russia and Belarus are two sides of the same coin. Besides hybrid attacks originating from Belarus, we have seen: Russian fighter jets in Estonian airspace; dozens of drones in Poland and Romania; instrumentalisation of migration on the Finnish border; and acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea. The eastern flank is a strategic area for the EU's overall security and requires strengthening, including the European Drone Defence Initiative and the Eastern Flank Watch. But the eastern flank also needs solidarity‑based financial tools. Therefore, the Council should incorporate eastern border security priorities into the next MFF.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, Belarus has recently intensified hybrid operations against Lithuania. We express solidarity with Lithuania and fully support Lithuania's right to take proportionate measures to protect its sovereignty, public order and safety. But I would like to broaden the picture. Russia and Belarus are two sides of the same coin. Besides hybrid attacks originating from Belarus, we have seen: Russian fighter jets in Estonian airspace; dozens of drones in Poland and Romania; instrumentalisation of migration on the Finnish border; and acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea. The eastern flank is a strategic area for the EU's overall security and requires strengthening, including the European Drone Defence Initiative and the Eastern Flank Watch. But the eastern flank also needs solidarity‑based financial tools. Therefore, the Council should incorporate eastern border security priorities into the next MFF.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, Belarus has recently intensified hybrid operations against Lithuania. We express solidarity with Lithuania and fully support Lithuania's right to take proportionate measures to protect its sovereignty, public order and safety. But I would like to broaden the picture. Russia and Belarus are two sides of the same coin. Besides hybrid attacks originating from Belarus, we have seen: Russian fighter jets in Estonian airspace; dozens of drones in Poland and Romania; instrumentalisation of migration on the Finnish border; and acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea. The eastern flank is a strategic area for the EU's overall security and requires strengthening, including the European Drone Defence Initiative and the Eastern Flank Watch. But the eastern flank also needs solidarity‑based financial tools. Therefore, the Council should incorporate eastern border security priorities into the next MFF.

Dear President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, It is our duty to protect children both in the real world and online. Not with speeches and slogans, but with actions, listening to experts and representatives of children's organizations. That is why I do not consider a general age rating and a total ban on social media for minors to be correct. Age recognition leads to discrimination and social media bans do not stop children. If we want to truly protect children, we need to start with the obligations of online platforms under the Digital Services Act. It is time to enforce the regulations. In addition, the digital awareness of minors is crucial, as is the awareness and responsibility of parents. I look forward to the recommendations of the relevant Commission expert group, which do not discriminate against or underestimate children. Only then can both the privacy and online safety of minors be guaranteed.

Dear President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, As LIBE rapporteur, I am very pleased to see that most of our proposals are reflected in the strategy, including a multidisciplinary approach, legal gender recognition, the involvement of women in crisis resolution. The report also deserves recognition for its clear opposition to violence against women and its support for consent-based rape provision. This is particularly important in today's context, where some Member States have not yet ratified the Istanbul Convention on Violence against Women and some are considering withdrawing from the Convention. At the same time, I would like to emphasise two points, the wording of which leaves a lot of room for interpretation. I don't think it's right to completely eliminate prostitution and surrogacy. Yes, violent and financial surrogacy must be banned, but surrogacy must remain, giving the opportunity to have children in loving families, both traditional and same-sex. Thank you!

Mr President, Commissioner, Council, colleagues, Ukraine is fighting against Russian aggression at the front, and with tens of thousands of civilian casualties, and two kids being killed in Kyiv last night. And Ukraine is under constant pressure to give up land and freedom under the so‑called 'peace treaty' orchestrated in the Kremlin. At the same time, the EU supports the Russian criminal regime by buying Russian energy. War criminal Putin fools around and continues killing. President Trump continues changing his positions. That is reality. We are the last hope of Ukrainians. Together with the 'coalition of the willing' we have to get our act together. We must support Ukraine until full victory over aggressor in order to bring fair and durable peace to Ukraine and Europe. We must give Ukraine much needed military support, fully implement sanctions, stop the Russian shadow fleet, start using Russian frozen assets, stop financing the Russian war economy and bring the aggressor to justice. And we should do it in solidarity. Thank you, Slava Ukraini.

Madam President, Commissioner, missing Council, dear colleagues, child sexual abuse is an extremely cruel crime that leaves the victim to deal with decades of trauma. In order to protect our children, we need to make sure that there is no impunity for these crimes, and that victims get maximum help and support. Today, I have three messages. First, to the victims and survivors of child sexual abuse: we met you, we listened to your stories and we heard you. We need to ensure that the victim gets all the support needed as fast and efficiently as possible, even if the crime has not been formally reported. It is during the time of the most intense trauma that victims need most support, and they should not be denied it because they were not ready to go to the police. I would like to underline also the importance of helplines and online chats as anonymous channels, and the reporting obligation that can be a lifeline for victims. Second, to the Council: on average, a victim will report a crime of abuse that happened in childhood when they are over 50 years old. Yes, 50. It can take even longer. To ensure no impunity, we need to abolish statutes of limitations. It is crucial to report and adjudicate these crimes even if time has passed. I urge the Council and Member States to rise above the 27 unique jurisdictions and give our children fair and equal protection across the EU and in all Member States. Finally, to my colleagues in this House: I would like to recognise the work of the rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs. Negotiations were tough, but today I can say that the compromise that we reached is ambitious and strong. So I urge you to vote for the unanimous report. Our negotiators need a strong and ambitious mandate. It's our duty.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, I deeply regret that so far there has not been a formal decision on the seizure of Russia's immobilised central bank assets. Repeatedly, we hear from the Council and Commission that they have not found a legally sound way to use the seized assets. My advice is very simple: try harder. Try harder to find a political willingness as well as a solution compatible with the rule of law principles. Russia has to pay for the violation of international law and the UN Charter, for causing immense human sufferings and destruction. Let me reiterate that customary international law, a state responsible for an international wrongful act must provide full reparation. Commissioner, please come up with legally and financially sound proposals in order to use Russian frozen assets to compensate for the damages inflicted by Russia's actions. The sooner, the better. Ukraine is waiting.

Yesterday, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, spoke in this hall, welcoming him with a tumultuous applause and a promise to continue supporting Ukraine. I am proud that the European Union is the biggest supporter of Ukraine, but it would be better and fairer. Firstly, it is not fair that Member States contribute to helping Ukraine per capita The calculation is so different. On one side there are countries that contribute 2% of GDP and more, including Estonia, and on the other side there are countries that contribute zero decimals. It's just embarrassing. Secondly, the war in Ukraine is affecting the European Union's economy and, again, some Member States are suffering more than others. Mostly these are the countries on the eastern border of the European Union, whose economies are affected by both sanctions and instability in the region. I repeat, we are prepared to pay a high price for Ukraine's victory, but we must do so in solidarity, as we did in solidarity with the Member States whose economies suffered as a result of Brexit. So I expect concrete proposals from the Commission, from the Council. It's urgent. Thank you!

Mr President, Commissioner, President-in-Office. Russia’s hybrid attacks on the European Union have steadily increased in recent years. We know it, we repeat it. And yet we cannot prevent, stop or punish attacks. The European Union, the world's largest economic regions, cannot bring Russia's war economy, many times smaller, to its knees. It's embarrassing. Today, coastal states and NATO allies are patrolling the Baltic Sea. At the same time, the European Union is increasingly adopting new packages of sanctions that are swarming with exceptions that are not being met and over which Russia is simply grinning. Today, too, the Commissioner and the President-in-Office have said the right thing. Coordination, exchange of information, cyber solidarity, partnership, but few words. It's time to act, resolutely and effectively. This is the only way to stop the Russian war machine in Ukraine and hybrid attacks in the European Union.

Madam President, Madam Commissioner, colleagues! Russia is attacking the security of Europe, i.e. all of us, more and more brutally and consistently. There are plenty of examples. The war in Ukraine, cyber-attacks, information wars, the use of illegal migrants as hybrid weapons, terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, etc. The actions of Russia and its criminal allies must not remain unanswered. I look to the new Commission and also to the new High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas. Preventing, deterring and responding to hybrid attacks must become a priority for the European Union. Not only in words, but also in deeds. We must not underestimate the strength of the European Union and NATO. On the contrary, it must be used. And finally. The European Union's support for Ukraine must not only continue, but increase significantly. That Ukraine wins, that Russia loses and is held accountable. This is the only way we can ensure Europe's security and future for our children. Thank you!