Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has shown that Europe must be ready for modern threats and must, in particular, produce what actually works in today’s battlefield conditions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during his address to the Foreign Affairs Council of EU Member States held in Kyiv.
“If we have programs like SAFE, we must make them truly modern and effective. Europe should produce not just what it knows, but what really works in today’s war and what is proven by today’s war. And countries already working with us on joint production understand this. Ukraine has this experience,” the Head of State said.
The President noted that Ukraine’s unique experience in protecting lives and critical infrastructure is now clearly visible during the work of Ukrainian expert teams in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Ukraine has already begun cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, and there are also signals from Bahrain.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled that Ukraine is also working with several European countries on modernizing defense, but stressed that this is necessary for all of Europe.
“I thank everyone involved in the PURL program and other initiatives that protect our skies. Drones, cruise missiles, ballistic threats – all must get a clear response. In the short term, we need funding for this. But in the long term, Europe must be able to produce all types of missiles and defense systems on its own,” the President stressed.
The Head of State also emphasized that Europe must ensure the implementation of the decisions it adopts. In particular, vital decisions such as the EUR 90 billion financial support package for Ukraine must not be blocked.
“We must strengthen trust in Europe, not weaken it. And beyond trust in Europe, this is a basic security issue, by the way. We must already prepare for the next winter. We have a plan, but because the 90 billion support package is still blocked, we cannot use the 5 billion planned for protection and recovery to get ready – no matter what this winter will be like,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
In addition, sanctions against Russian oil and other restrictive measures against the aggressor must be consistently strengthened. Another key aspect is Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, which is a security guarantee for both Europe and us. Our country is ready to open negotiation clusters and continue accession talks. A key priority is setting a clear date for EU membership, which would serve as a safeguard against Russian attempts to obstruct the process.
“In the Middle East and the Gulf, when countries turn to Ukraine for support, they see Ukraine as Europe. They see it as working with Europe. No one there doubts that Ukraine is Europe. Ukraine’s contribution to global stability is seen as Europe’s contribution – by everyone in the world. So why, in some key issues, is Ukraine still limited as a part of Europe?” the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled that the Russian army was forced to retreat from Kyiv four years ago, and that Bucha revealed the reality of Ukraine’s fight against a brutal and completely irrational aggressor. The President stressed that Russia must not win this war in any way, must receive no reward from it, and must not overtake European countries in new technologies.
The President is convinced that Europe must be present in negotiations on ending the war and its interests must be taken into account.
“We are doing everything to end this war through diplomacy. Of course. This is necessary. And Russia shows no intention to make a reliable deal, but it’s significantly a matter of pressure. And I hope the United States will remain decisive and help bring Russia to a trilateral meeting – and press it to make peace,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.
The meeting was attended by foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, and Sweden; the Minister Delegate for European Affairs of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs; deputy foreign ministers of Greece and Czechia; representatives of the governments of Austria, Belgium, Spain, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Finland; and the ambassadors of Denmark, Slovakia, and Hungary to Ukraine.
