Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine V.Groysman and the European Parliament President M.Schulz opened the meeting. Ukrainian MPs actively participated in the discussion where they informed their European colleagues about implementation of the Association Agreement, reforms in the sphere of corruption counteraction, decentralization, legal proceedings, and the constitutional reform. The European side stressed that it positively evaluates the course of reforms in Ukraine.  

Also Ukrainian politicians informed about fulfilling obligations of Ukraine in the context of the second phase of visa liberalization and claimed about Ukraine's aspirations to receive a positive signal on introducing visa-free regime at the Riga Eastern Partnership Summit. They emphasized that Ukraine also expects from the Riga Summit a positive signal on the prospects of EU membership.

The main topic of discussion was the situation in Donbas and outcome of the war conducted by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Deputies of the Verkhovna Rada voiced a joint position on the need to considerably increase of sanctions against the Russian Federation.

Ukrainian MP’s believe that sanctions should be expanded in the energy and banking spheres, they also demand expanding visa sanctions. Ukrainian politicians urged their European colleagues to uphold the initiative of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on deploying peacekeeping troops in Donbas and expect that this position will be upheld by the European Parliament during its discussion with the European Commission.

Also Ukrainian politicians called to increase humanitarian assistance programs for the internally displaced persons. All deputies claimed that Ukraine needs military support, otherwise the Russian Federation will move its troops further into the territory of Ukraine and all humanitarian programs will be inefficient.

European and Ukrainian deputies strongly protested against keeping Nadiia Savchenko in the Russian prison and urged the Russian Federation to immediately liberate her.

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