The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group has strongly denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and most of its members firmly support providing military aid to Kyiv.
For several months, ECR leadership has been deliberating whether to expel MEP Jacques-Yves Kartheiser over his pro-Russian views.
“If he travels [to Moscow], I will formally propose his removal from the group,” ECR co-chair Patryk Jaki told POLITICO.
Jaki, a member of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), stressed that ECR—particularly PiS—has long stood against attempts to reset relations with Moscow. “We opposed the Nord Stream pipeline initiatives and the broader trend across Europe of engaging in political resets with Russia before the war in Ukraine,” Jaki said.
European Parliament spokesperson Delphine Colard emphasized that any members visiting Moscow are doing so independently, not in an official capacity.
Earlier in May, amid Russia’s “Victory Day” commemorations, Cypriot non-aligned MEP Fidias Panayiotou traveled to Moscow alongside lawmakers from Germany’s Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), Slovakia’s SMER party, and the Czech Republic.
Their visit drew sharp criticism from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and the heads of the major political groups. Renew Europe’s president even demanded an investigation into whether any European Parliament funds were improperly used to support the trip.
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