European lawmakers have called for faster deliveries of air- and sea-defence systems to Romania, Bulgaria, and other coastal states.
The text also asks for a top-up of the EU Solidarity Fund for damaged port cities and for repairs to critical infrastructure. It presses the Commission to finance alternative export routes and insurance guarantees. The aim is to let Ukrainian grain leave Black Sea ports safely.
The resolution aims to improve air-defence coverage along Europe’s south-eastern flank. MEPs passed it on Thursday, casting 432 votes for the motion and 52 against; 88 members abstained. The text bears the title Escalation of Russian strikes in the EU, particularly on Black Sea shipping, threatening human life, regional stability and food security.
The resolution—like all such texts—does not bind anyone. European Parliament resolutions are non-binding, but they frequently steer later action by the Commission and the Council.
Five drafts, one text
Five motions fed the resolution. They came from the EPP, Renew, ECR, S&D, and Greens/EFA groups. Each had its own preamble and operative paragraphs. All five condemned the intensification of Russian attacks on civilian and commercial targets around the Black Sea. They also demanded safeguards for Black Sea grain exports to avert a food-security crisis. Each called for more EU humanitarian, military, and economic support for frontline states.
The groups merged their texts into a joint motion, coded RC-B10-0476/2026. Once the joint text passed, the other motions fell. MEPs did not vote on them separately.
The joint text proposes an EU-NATO Black-Sea Maritime Security Task-Force. It urges the Council to widen personal sanctions, back the special tribunal on aggression, and support evidence collection for ICC prosecutions.
Two camps in Strasbourg
About 70 MEPs spoke in Tuesday’s debate in Strasbourg. By a rough count, a dozen sat firmly in the anti-escalation camp. They demanded talks and diplomacy. The rest backed arming Ukraine, pressing Moscow, and defending Europe’s coasts.
Vice-President of the Commission Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, opened the debate by describing six attacks in ten days by suspected Russian drones. Ukraine, she said, loses an estimated €60m a day in export revenue.
Ms Kallas said Ukraine wants peace, and so does Europe. She also stated she had a plan. In February, she said, she presented US foreign minister Marco Rubio with a “maximalist” plan for entering peace talks.
