European Parliament President Demands Investigation Into Lawmaker's Russia Trips

Probe Sought Over Fernando Kartheiser's Conduct

According to Главком: Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, is calling for an official inquiry into Luxembourgish MEP Fernando Kartheiser over alleged breaches of the parliamentary code of conduct. The accusations stem from his repeated meetings with Russian officials. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kartheiser has participated in at least four video conferences with members of the Russian State Duma and has personally traveled to Russia on two separate occasions.

His most recent trip occurred on June 17, 2026, when he attended the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. During that event, Kartheiser and several other European lawmakers signed a joint declaration with Duma representatives pledging to deepen cooperation. Notably, the document made no reference whatsoever to the war in Ukraine. This has drawn sharp criticism, as the European Union froze all official contacts with the Russian parliament back in 2014 following Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its aggression in the Donbas region.

Assessing Kartheiser's Actions

A relevant European Parliament committee will now evaluate Kartheiser's behavior and recommend possible penalties. Potential measures include:

• withholding his daily parliamentary allowances;
• a full suspension from all parliamentary activities;
• a ban on representing the European Parliament in international settings.

Last year, Kartheiser was expelled from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the Parliament.

Fernando Kartheiser: 'This situation is strange.'

He has also defended his contacts with Russians as an 'informational dialogue for the sake of peace.' In May 2025, Kartheiser was in Moscow for Victory Day celebrations alongside MEPs from Germany's Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, Slovakia's Smer party, and Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou.

Kartheiser's case is gaining attention amid broader European debates about relations with Russia. This comes as the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, recently visited Ireland to discuss alumina exports to Russia. During that visit, Kallas also addressed the operations of Aughinish Alumina, a company that continued shipping a significant portion of its output to the Russian market after the full-scale war began.

The situation highlights the complexity of EU-Russia ties, particularly in the context of sanctions policy and diplomatic engagement. The investigation into Kartheiser could send a strong signal to other European lawmakers who maintain links with Russian officials, and may influence future EU foreign policy decisions. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, it remains crucial for European politicians to uphold a unified stance in international affairs and avoid undermining the bloc's collective position on Russia.

As the scrutiny of Fernando Kartheiser intensifies, it is important to consider the broader implications of such interactions with Russian officials. This situation mirrors a recent investigation initiated by the European Parliament concerning lawmakers' participation in a forum in Russia, raising questions about the appropriateness of these engagements amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions. For a deeper understanding of how these actions are being evaluated, you can read more about the Parliament's inquiry into lawmakers' Russia forum attendance.