Thank you so much, António, Ursula, dear leaders, dear friends,
Thank you for your attention to Ukraine and for your support – it is vital for us. And because this support exists, others in Europe can also feel that they will not be left alone in a critical moment.
This is the core of European unity. European nations stand together so no one is left alone, and so everyone knows there is someone to rely on. This is how Ukraine has always seen Europe. And Ukrainians are among the strongest believers in the European idea and its most dedicated defenders – for years. Russia’s war against us is also a war against the idea of Europe – shown through Ukraine. Each of you knows this.
And that is why we in Ukraine hope that Europe will find a way out of the difficult, very difficult situation we all face now, especially when it comes to the destabilization of European support for Ukraine.
An important part of our defense against Russian aggression is what we have built over the years – all of us together – Ukrainians and all Europeans, our friends around the world. We have made sure that – during this war – Russia doesn’t feel stronger. The aggressor must weaken – and this is the key to ending the war. This means that the aggressor must weaken on the battlefield, and Russia’s heavy losses on the frontline, around 30-35 thousand soldiers each month, ensure that. Russia must also lose economically – and this is what sanctions are for. And there is also the moral side – it is important that support for us stays strong, steady, and long-term, for years, and that the aggressor feels its future is uncertain – the aggressor, not us. I thank each of you, and Europe as a whole, that this has worked – and it must continue to work.
We are doing everything we can to make diplomacy effective and end the war. And you have all seen this. Working with the team of the President of the United States, I involve Europe as much as possible and keep you informed. Europe’s involvement is the cornerstone of our approach, and peace in Ukraine is peace in Europe. It is our common goal. And in the past few days, we have received signals from the American side that talks may resume soon. But with what mindset will the Russian side come to the talks this time?
It depends on all of us together to make sure the Russians do not come to these talks feeling that their position has grown much stronger. And it is not only because of the situation around Iran, which is pushing global oil prices higher.
First, Russians see active use of air defense missiles in the Middle East and the Gulf region, and they may think Ukraine will face a shortage of such missiles.
Second, the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia is stalled. It could have continued the pressure on Russia to move toward real peace.
Third, the United States has eased some sanctions on Russia, and this brings significant money into Putin’s war budget.
Next, for the third month now, the most important financial security guarantee for Ukraine from Europe is not working – the 90-billion-euro support package for this year and the next. This is critical for us. It is a resource to protect lives.
And the fifth point, even today, we do not know for sure whether this support will be unblocked.
Dear leaders, united Europe,
We need to take and implement decisions. Strong and steady support matters. Pressure on Russia matters. And it is important to stay focused – even while watching Iran – that war is ongoing on European soil.
We count on you to unblock the 90-billion-euro package of financial security guarantees for this year and the next. This package was supposed to work in spring, but it was blocked. Ukraine, for its part, is doing what is needed – including on the oil pipeline, as we discussed with António and Ursula – to make this possible. Our team from the energy companies – Naftogaz and UkrTransNafta – is working productively to deliver on what we discussed. But the decision is yours – whether you want Russian oil to be imported by Europe, knowing that it helps the aggressor.
Ukrainians went through a hard winter because of Russian strikes. Many people had electricity for only a few hours a day, and in some cities, there was no heating for days. And this happened during one of the coldest winters in years. But we got through it. We overcame this challenge. And we held energy Ramstein meetings, and all participants were fully informed about the situation and our needs. We need to act quickly – to protect our energy system and rebuild what was destroyed by Russia. Time matters. This work must start now. And so funding is needed now – at least 5 billion for energy resilience for the next winter as a part of the 90-billion package. The same applies to defense and recovery after Russian strikes. We need to rebuild homes, keep logistics running, and support people’s daily lives. This cannot be delayed to some unclear “later.” And at the same time, European arms producers are waiting – waiting for us to pay for contracts – European aircraft for Ukraine, European air defense, European equipment. This is about your jobs and your technological growth. So this 90-billion package will actually work for Europe because in today’s Europe, no one stands alone – we are all closely connected. And if something is blocked for us, it will lead to consequences for everyone – maybe not always obvious, but definitely felt.
I thank everyone in Europe who supports continued pressure on Russia for this war. The 20th sanctions package will help bring peace closer and show Russia that it is not gaining the upper hand. And thank you to everyone who is ready to continue pressure on Russia’s shadow fleet tankers and who continues to protect Europe from all forms of Russian disinformation. Our team is ready to work with you as effectively as possible, including on entry bans to the EU for all Russians involved in this war – those who kill should not be allowed into Europe.
We value your support in protecting us from Russian strikes – especially when it comes to air defense and drone production. And we should continue using every opportunity to find missiles for Patriot systems. That’s why the PURL program is helpful. I thank everyone who contributes to it. And we know – not everyone likes the idea of using part of the 90 billion to buy Patriot missiles through PURL if there are no other options. But if there really are no other options, this is necessary to defend against Russian ballistic attacks – it’s about saving lives.
And one more point.
Despite all the difficulties, Ukraine continues to work to make it possible to close all clusters this year. Ukraine is already technically ready, and we have received from you the necessary benchmarks for all clusters – this is important, thank you. In line with key EU principles, reforms, and the rule of law, we will ensure that everything on our side is done to open the clusters and continuation of accession negotiation in 2026. And we are determined to do this, to do so. It is also a key factor in the overall mindset around ending the war – our mindset, the mindset of our partners, and, of course, of the aggressor.
Russia must clearly see and truly feel that Ukraine will be in Europe – and that this cannot be stopped. That is why we are carrying out internal reforms and working externally to secure a clear date for EU membership. If there is a clear date, it will mean that Russia will not be able to block our accession in any way. You see how different things get blocked, and how difficult it is for a united Europe to implement even decisions that have already been made. This must not be the case with opening the clusters for Ukraine or with our accession – this is a matter of trust, security, and the future, of course.
Please, let us all continue to move forward together and do everything so that our positions are felt as strong, and the positions of those who want to break us and break Europe – are felt as weak.
Thank you so much.