The European Union will continue supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary and considers Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace formula the only framework document paving the way for a just and sustainable peace.
This was announced today by EU High Representative Josep Borrell in Sweden, at the picturesque Steninge Castle, where an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers was held, at a press conference following the meeting, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Many people say they want peace. We do. And the ones who want peace more than anyone else are the Ukrainians. Ukrainians want peace. We want peace. But we want a capitulation. We do not want Ukraine to become a second Belarus. That is why President Zelenskyy’s peace plan is for us today, right now, the only document that provides a broad framework for achieving just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Tomorrow we will continue to discuss this with Foreign Minister (of Ukraine – ed.) Kuleba,” the EU High Representative said.
He noted that we should always remember the main thing: there is an aggressor in this war, Russia, and there is Ukraine, which is a victim of aggression. Russia does not want to stop the invasion, but Ukraine cannot stop fighting. The Ukrainians simply cannot stop fighting because they want to continue to exist and preserve their existence as a sovereign state.
“It is clear that Putin has no intention of giving up his aims of conquering Ukraine; he will continue to attack and destroy it. Ministers today underlined the importance of continuing to support Ukraine. It is and remains our priority to provide Ukraine with the assistance and means to defend itself and to build the resilience necessary to defeat Russia,” said Josep Borrell.
He said that over the last 15 months, they have provided Ukraine with military support for about €15 billion. It is significant, but more will have to come. The EU has quickly provided immediate assistance to Ukraine, but it is time to look to the medium term.
“We need to consider how the EU should transform the instruments that it has developed to face the immediate threats and provide ammunition and military equipment into a long-term commitment that will give Ukraine confidence and allow it to continue to receive humanitarian, financial and military assistance,” the EU High Representative said.
He stressed that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is a major commitment on the part of the Member States, the implementation of which should ensure Ukraine’s stability and prosperity. But until that happens, the EU will continue to provide practical and concrete assistance to Ukraine.
“And I want to send a clear message to Putin: there is no fatigue and there will be no fatigue. We will continue supporting Ukraine as much as Ukraine needs and for as long as needed,” added Josep Borrell. As Ukrinform reported earlier, an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers took place in Sweden today. European officials discussed the most critical foreign policy issues, including support for Ukraine and the definition of a strategy for EU-China relations.