Speeches

The EU remains a strong global force that can protect – and does protect – European values and interests. It also plays a key role in making sure the war that Russia is waging doesn’t spread further, and in moving things toward peace.

Justice must work in a way that makes it clear to anyone planning such crimes, crimes of aggression that accountability is certain. And justice must work in a way that sets a legal principle – no rewards for aggression. That’s why the crime of aggression must be recorded, judged, and punished.

Thank you for the fact that the Netherlands is one of the world’s biggest defenders of life and one of the largest in Europe – together with Germany, Norway and Sweden.

Russia rejects all peace proposals, including those from the United States of America. Putin only thinks about war. That’s a fact. Maybe he connects his own political survival with his ability to keep killing: so long as he kills, he lives.

Iran’s decisions to support Russia have brought massive destruction and devastating human losses to our country, and to many others. This truly must stop. And it must absolutely not be reinforced with nuclear weapons.

It is Russia that rejects peace proposals. And not just some – all of them: American, and, by the way, Chinese, European, Brazilian, African, Indian. Regardless of who says the war must be stopped, Putin doesn’t listen. It is Putin who speaks openly to the world about which cities he threatens and which nations he claims don’t exist.

Particular attention was paid to the Sumy region, to operations in the border areas. I am grateful to our units for their resilience. The Russians had various plans and intentions there – absolutely insane, as usual. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy region.

Sanctions must be ramped up significantly. We must greatly enhance our cooperation – especially in the technological sphere – among all those around the world who are defending life. This is exactly what we agreed on with partners recently in Canada – at the G7 Summit. And we will continue discussing it next week through other formats of our cooperation in Europe, particularly within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing. 

And together, we must continue urging President Trump to use the influence he really has – to force Putin to end this war. It was the U.S. and President Trump who proposed a ceasefire, the resumption of diplomacy, immediate meetings and negotiations. But Russia has blocked every effort.

Every night, Russian strikes. Every day, we lose the lives of our people all across Ukraine – in the Kherson, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy regions – because of Russian shelling, because of this war that could have ended long ago if the world had reacted to Russia in a principled way instead of falling for its manipulation and lies.