Latest news with #FernandKartheiser
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU has isolated itself, not Russia
Luxembourg MEP Fernand Kartheiser has argued that the EU's confrontational approach to Russia during the Ukraine conflict has led to its own isolation. The lawmaker made the remarks in an interview with RT released on Tuesday while on a trip to Russia that he was forced to fund personally due to the European Parliament's restrictions. 'Some people in the European Parliament… have an attitude toward Russia that identifies it as a big threat,' Kartheiser said. 'They think that if we put pressure on Russia and isolate it diplomatically, that might help to find solutions in the context of the conflict in Ukraine… it is not the discussion that we should have.' Kartheiser noted that the entire EU approach toward the Ukraine conflict and Russia has been counterproductive. 'What we have now internationally is that basically everybody talks to Russia. We even have the US coming back and having high-level contacts… the anti-Russia stance is diminishing,' he stated. 'So this policy of isolation of Russia basically has failed. The only ones who are isolated in a way are the EU itself.' The lawmaker's visit to Moscow at the invitation of the Russian State Duma aimed to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine. The visit, however, drew criticism from hawkish EU lawmakers. The European Conservatives and Reformists group threatened to expel Kartheiser, claiming he had 'crossed a red line.' The MEP called the threat 'a regrettable part of the picture' and lamented that some EU lawmakers remain opposed to re-engaging with Moscow. 'The discussion that we should have is what kind of relationship do we want with Russia in the future? We have to open the dialogue again. That is most important,' he said, adding that there are politicians whose opinions towards Russia are shifting, while many ordinary Europeans would also like to see ties MEP emphasized that if the EU 'wants to be taken seriously as an actor in international relations,' it must abandon the anti-Russia policy and 'have some kind of relationship' with the country again. 'If we, Western Europeans, are expected to take a larger responsibility for our own security, one way to assure this is by negotiating an agreement with Russia, ensuring at the same time our security as Western Europeans and guaranteeing the security of Russia's western border. So, negotiation and diplomacy before rearmament and arms race,' he concluded.
Euronews
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
EU Parliament Conservatives expel Luxembourgish MEP for trip to Moscow
The European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament is set to expel Luxembourgish MEP Fernand Kartheiser from its ranks for arranging a trip to Moscow. Kartheiser, a former diplomat and ambassador to several European countries, is currently in Moscow where he was invited by the Russian Parliament, or Duma, to discuss bilateral relations, Russia's relations with international organisations and the current situation in Ukraine. 'Given that the European Parliament is blocking MEPs' diplomatic efforts to meet with the Russian Federation, I am funding this mission to Moscow myself,' he told Euronews before the two-day trip to meet members of the Russian government and Parliament. But fellow MEPs from the right-wing group were unimpressed. "By travelling to Putin's Russia, Fernand Kartheiser has crossed a red line for the ECR Group. We will take decisive action to terminate his group membership as soon as possible,' said ECR co-Chairmen Nicola Procaccini and Patryk Jaki in a statement shared with Euronews. Kartheiser could be formally expelled as soon as next week during a group meeting, according to a source familiar with the party, as few MEPs are in Brussels this week. An absolute majority of votes among the group's members is required to exclude him. The ECR group has a firm stance on the Russian war in Ukraine, condemning the invasion and demanding full support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. 'We continue to emphasise our backing for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, defence and independence of Ukraine,' an ECR spokesperson told Euronews in a written statement on the matter. Kartheiser is not the first MEP to embark on a trip to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. While the European Parliament has suspended any ties with its Russian counterpart and no official delegation has been sent to Russia since the invasion, some of its members have travelled there in a personal capacity. For example, five MEPs took part in the Victory Day's parade in Moscow on 9 May: Michael von der Schulenburg and Ruth Firmenich from Germany's radical left BSW party, Ľuboš Blaha from Slovakia's ruling Smer party, Czech independent MEP Ondřej Dostál and Cypriot independent MEP Fidias Panayiotou. Slovenia's president Nataša Pirc Musar called for renewed dialogue between the EU and Russia in a recent interview with Politico, saying that EU Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen is 'working on that'. On the matter, a spokesperson from the Commission said on Monday: "We are interested in bringing all the parties concerned together at the table, and to discuss a ceasefire, in view of achieving peace". Long-term unemployment across the EU is now 1.9%, according to the latest Eurostat data, the lowest level since data collection began. The Netherlands (0.5%), Malta (0.7%), the Czech Republic, Denmark and Poland (all at 0.8%) reported the lowest rates of people out of work for twelve months or more. The highest proportion was found in Greece, 5.4%, followed by Spain (3.8%) and Slovakia (3.5%). At the same time, these three countries all reported lower long-term unemployment rates compared to the previous year. Down 0.8% in Greece, 0.5% in Spain and 0.2% in Slovakia. General unemployment also declined to the lowest rate on record, now down to less than 5.9%: A drop of 0.2% from 2023. The data, however, paints a mixed picture. Unemployment is going down among all age groups, except for the youngest generation. Among people aged 15 to 24, it reached 14.9%, up 0.4% from 2023.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Luxembourg MEP to visit Moscow for peace and human rights talks
Luxembourg member of the European Parliament Fernand Kartheiser has announced a visit to Moscow at the invitation of Russia's State Duma to discuss peace in Ukraine. Source: Politico, as reported by European Pravda Details: Kartheiser said he plans to meet Russian MPs, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, and the Director of Bilateral Relations at the Russian Foreign Ministry during his visit early next week. "In all those meetings, I am going to talk about peace in Ukraine. I will also raise the issue of human rights in Russia, and I will, in general terms, discuss the current worrying state of international relations," he said. Kartheiser noted that he is funding the trip himself, as "the European Parliament is blocking MEPs' diplomatic efforts to meet with the Russian Federation." The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), Kartheiser's political group in the European Parliament, has distanced itself from his trip to Moscow. Background: Patryk Jaki, a fellow ECR member from Poland's Law and Justice party, said he would propose Kartheiser's expulsion from the group if the visit proceeds. Cypriot independent MEP and blogger Fidias Panayiotou has also faced growing criticism for controversial statements and actions regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
