The European Parliament has overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution urging the EU institutions to "work on granting Ukraine EU candidate status".

Thus, 637 MEPs voted for the resolution "Russian aggression against Ukraine", 13 more voted against it, and 26 abstained from voting.

The resolution "calls on the EU institutions to work on granting Ukraine EU candidate status in accordance with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union and on the basis of merit, and meanwhile continue to work on its integration into the EU single market in accordance with the Association Agreement.

The document also calls to extend sanctions against the Russian economy and the defense industry, and thus the ability of the Russian Federation to threaten international security in the future, as well as to extend sanctions to Belarus on the basis of its support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

MEPs call for, among other things, restricting imports of the most important Russian exports, including oil and gas, banning new EU investments in the Russian Federation as well as new Russian investments in the EU, blocking all Russian banks in the European financial system, disconnecting the Russian Federation and Belarus from the SWIFT system.

Finally, the MPs demand that the Russian Federation immediately cease all military activities in Ukraine, unconditionally withdraw all military and paramilitary formations and military equipment from all internationally recognized Ukrainian territory and fully respect the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

Earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the European Parliament, which on Tuesday intends to adopt a resolution on Ukraine's accession to the EU.