Zelensky urges sanctions: "Shadow fleet" fuels Putin's war

On the thousandth day of Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression, President Zelensky emphasized in a remote speech during a special session of the European Parliament that Putin will only stop when the war is no longer profitable for him.

Zelensky remarked, "Putin does not value people or rules. He only values money and power. These are the things we must take away from him to restore peace." He urged that Russia's ability to finance the war with oil trade revenues be continuously curtailed.

"Every blow and every threat from Russia must be met with firm sanctions. For a thousand days, it has been crucial to radically reduce Russia’s ability to fund its war through oil sales. Oil is the lifeblood of Putin’s regime. And the shadow fleet of tankers is what keeps it alive," Zelensky emphasized.

In the European Parliament, this proposal was likely to be well-received—just a few days ago, MEPs passed a resolution calling for the EU to intensify monitoring and inspections and impose restrictions on specific units of the "shadow fleet" and its supporting "ecosystem"—insurance companies, operators, and owners, as well as financial institutions enabling their transactions and profiting from Russian goods.

The Ukrainian president used a maritime metaphor: "No one can enjoy calm waters amid a storm," he declared, alluding to those who think "they can sell Moscow Ukraine – or any other country, like the Baltic states, the Balkans, Georgia, or Moldova – and gain something in return." He contrasted this vision with a strong "United States of Europe," which he believes is stronger than Putin, "even with North Korea's Kim Jong Un by his side."

"I urge you not to forget what Europe is capable of achieving. If we can protect Europe's way of life, we can surely push Russia toward a just peace. Peace is what we desire most," Zelensky appealed, thanking the European Parliament and EU leaders for ensuring that "not a single-one of the thousand days of this terrible war became a day of betrayal of our shared European values." He also reminded that Ukraine proposed a peace formula two years ago, supported by the European Parliament, with the only opponent being Russia.

Zelensky received two standing ovations in the European Parliament—once upon his welcome and again after his speech. The EU authorities and MEPs expressed solidarity with Ukraine. Since yesterday, EU buildings have been adorned with Ukraine's blue and yellow colors, alongside the blue-starred banner. In the European Parliament, parliamentary factions announced continued support for Ukraine, although traditional divisions between the center-left and far-right were apparent.

Speaking on behalf of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber stated that "Ukraine will be a member of the European Union soon" and should also be in NATO, as it currently has the strongest army in Europe, while Russia remains an imperialist state.

The leader of the EPP also emphasized that Europe must follow the example of Joe Biden, who allowed Kyiv to attack targets deep in Russia with American weapons. "It is up to the Europeans to do now the same," Weber stated. He then criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (the German CDU party, part of the EPP, is in opposition to his government):

"Chancellor Scholz said that he would take all the steps necessary together with our American friends. That's why, please, give now Ukraine the necessary Taurus missiles they need," Weber appealed. Scholz has long refused to provide Ukraine with these German weapons.

Iratxe García, the leader of the second-largest faction in the European Parliament—Socialists and Democrats—also declared "full support" for Ukraine. "Let's dispel the pessimistic notion that Ukraine cannot triumph in this war. Russia has suffered losses in numerous wars throughout its history," the left-wing politician observed, stating that victory requires "not just words, but also ammunition, tanks, troops, and air defense."

Representative of the liberal faction Valérie Hayer stated that "some MEPs call themselves pacifists, but in reality, they are allies of Vladimir Putin," for them, peace is "the right of the stronger." She called for supporting Ukraine with both weapons and money, including billions from frozen Russian assets, and added that attacks on targets in Russia are justified.

According to Green faction co-leader Terry Reintke, Vladimir Putin is trying to return to times when Europe was ruled by empires—attempting to rebuild the Russian empire, while the return of Donald Trump to the White House is "another alarm signal" for the EU, which must have the strength to defend itself and become energy independent from authoritarian states and their dictators.

Representing the European Conservatives and Reformists, Nicola Procaccini emphasized that Ukrainians teach everyone "that homeland is not a word that belongs to the past, but is still what holds the meaning of men and women in history." "Those watching this war in China, in Africa and the Middle East, in Latin America are waiting to know whether the entire West still believes in its founding values. Among them, the value of peace," he noted, recalling Winston Churchill's words that accepting bad peace terms is like feeding a crocodile in hopes that the feeder will be bitten last.

No one from the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations spoke; many seats in the section of the plenary occupied by the far-right were empty. However, Kinga Gál, representing Patriots for Europe, joined in condemning Russian aggression, emphasizing Hungarian assistance to Ukrainian refugees. She noted that as the war continues, it will become increasingly difficult for Ukraine to provide a sufficient number of soldiers. The MEP from Hungary's Fidesz pointed out that "more and more Hungarians from Zakarpattia, including members of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine," are dying at the front.

"The war is taking place in our neighborhood, so the escalation of the conflict would have drastic consequences for us. Therefore, we do not participate in arms supplies to Ukraine and oppose proposals that would lead to escalation," stated Gál. She believes the current EU strategy hasn't worked and that a ceasefire and peace negotiations should be reached as soon as possible. She hopefully stated that "after Donald Trump's victory, there is a greater chance for this than ever before."