New Delhi, March 1 : There is no neutral between the fire and the fire brigade, President of European Parliament Roberta Metsola said on Tuesday, as she also stressed that Europe cannot remain dependent on Russian gas anymore. Addressing the European Parliament, which was broadcast live, Metsola said “Europe can no longer rely on Kremlin gas. We need to diversify the energy system towards Europe, which is no longer at the behest of autocrats. Europe can no longer welcome Kremlin cash and pretend there are no strings attached.” She started her address by thanking Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. “Thank you for showing what standing up means. Metsola said Russia would never be welcome in European Union.
“Aggressors and war mongers have no place in house of democracy,” she said. “Putin’s oligarchs and those who bankroll him, should no longer be able to use their purchasing power to hide behind a veneer of respectability, in our cities, communities or our sports clubs,” she said. “We can no longer send passports to Putin’s friends to circumvent our security. Investment in defence must match our rhetoric. Europe must have a real security and defence union… It is possible, desirable and necessary that we must fight the Kremlin,” she said. She also called upon tech giants to fight Russian propaganda online. “I call on social media and tech conglomerates to take their responsibility seriously and to understand that there is no being neutral between the fire and the fire brigade,” she said.
With UNI Inputs
