Speeches

Together with the Chancellor, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche is in Kyiv today, along with a strong – a very strong – business delegation. There is a new support package for Ukraine – a comprehensive package worth more than €1.3 billion. It includes weapons that will help us now, as well as support for our energy sector, which is very important, ahead of winter – an important energy package.

This is where independence is won. And the path to peace runs through these very labyrinths, these very corridors. And when we say, “Ukraine is holding on,” this resilience begins right here at the front, in command posts like this and at every one of our positions – where Ukraine is – because Ukraine has defenders.

We are doing everything to destroy Russian military logistics, and our respective operations continue nonstop. Our warriors are degrading Russia’s strike capabilities and destroying infiltration attempts.

We are preparing new talks, including on air defense and further support for Ukraine, that will take place this week. I want to thank all our partners who are truly delivering on our agreements and supplying air defense interceptors.

This must be countered. It has been a long time since the world imposed effective sanctions on Russia – and the Lindsey Graham law, as well as EU sanctions and sanctions from around the world, can deliver that.

We already have several effective prototypes of interceptors against Russian jet-powered drones. There are teams using them in combat.

Russia’s finances and Russia’s production are what must be stopped if Putin is to be stopped. And our great soldiers and our weapons are working for this, only for this. The world’s support for Ukraine helps us do it. And I am grateful to everyone, to every country that stands with us – stands with Ukraine – and helps our people.

When we speak about international law, we mean this: we want Russia – which started this war and is stealing land – to be held responsible.

And we have here almost 1,400 participants. More than 800 representatives of governments, regions and communities, and more than 500 business representatives from all C8 countries. My congratulations. And this is the first summit of this scale for our macro-region.

We already cooperate extensively on our defense. As you know, we work together in energy and on export and import routes – this is very important. Logistics is one of our key priorities, especially during the war. We also work together on humanitarian issues, in supporting people and communities, and in our cooperation at the European Union level.