Thank you very much!
Your Majesties, thank you so much!
And dear Mette, my friend, thank you so much for the invitation to such a beautiful city!
Such a strong people – thank you for your support! Thanks!
And, of course, dear Ursula, dear António, all our friends, colleagues!
Once again, congratulations to Denmark – our close friend – and to you personally, Mette, along with your team, as Denmark begins its Presidency of the EU Council. We can be confident – this will be a time of strong and principled decisions. And that means – a time of predictability. Predictability has become a rare thing these days. But Denmark is the country that leaves no room for doubt. It’s a country, and a people, we can rely on. Denmark brings a sense of predictability. You keep your promises, and together we achieve meaningful results. Thank you for that. And I also want to thank our friends leading the EU institutions – António and Ursula. Even on such symbolic days like the start of the Presidency, we don’t stop at symbolism – we make real decisions. It’s important. We talked about how important it is to close the gaps in defense funding. We’re working to get real results from our joint defense programs. And we’re getting things ready so the EU can keep its promises. Ukraine is ready – ready to open the accession clusters, ready to move forward with the negotiations, and ready for decisions that benefit both sides. Thank you for your support.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We in Ukraine created a special national award – for children. I told this story today to Mette. It’s for boys and girls who have shown bravery during Russian attacks, or helped in other dangerous situations, volunteered, or shown civic leadership. The award is called “The Future of Ukraine,” and truly our future depends on whether we can raise children who care, who are not indifferent to others, who are willing to help. As this visit began, I had the honor of presenting this award to a boy who lives here in Denmark. He’s a Danish citizen. His name is Jens, and he’s just 11 years old – like my son. He’s 11, but his kindness and care have already made a difference – and inspired many adults. Jens made Easter crafts in blue and yellow – Ukraine’s national colors – sold them, and bought backpacks to send to Ukrainian children who need – really need – help. It was deeply moving. But if you think about it, this was also deeply political: wanting to help, to support others, to not stay on the sidelines in a time of war – that’s a powerful message in itself. And this is exactly the kind of message that lies at the heart of the European Union, at the heart of our unity.
We are united. And we work together. And our Europe needs the EU – for mutual support, for shared protection, and for the very values shown by Jens, by you, and by millions of Europeans every day: compassion, sincerity, and the will to help someone in need – even if that person is far from your home. And we must not forget this. All our European institutions, all our agreements, all our cooperation and joint work for security – it’s all built around this idea – that Europeans care for one another and act like human beings in the fullest sense of the word.
This is why we need the European Union.
And this is why we must defend Europe – not only from outside enemies, but also from those inside who try to replace solidarity with division, and compassion with a cold disregard for anyone but themselves.
Dear friends,
The next 6 months of Denmark’s EU Presidency will go by fast – time always flies. The most important thing is that we achieve what we all truly want.
First, we need to protect the EU from those who are trying to break it apart – often for personal and corrupt reasons. The EU must stay strong, because it gives strength to every European nation in global competition. And the EU must keep its promises – especially when it comes to enlargement. And I hope that during Denmark’s Presidency, the EU accession negotiations with Ukraine will move forward, and the clusters will finally be opened.
Second, we all understand that Russia is not just some dangerous neighbor, that much is obvious. It’s something more deliberate – an anti-European project. Everyone in Europe can clearly see this – Russia invests in everything that goes against our European way of life. That’s why we must not let them win – not in this war, and not in any part of our future. We need biting sanctions against Russia. We need steady defense support for Ukraine. We need to build up Europe’s own defense industry – so that Russia cannot outmatch us in any area. All of this is vital for keeping Europe safe. And we have to keep putting pressure on Russia – to make them stop the war, respect their neighbors, and choose peace. As long as Russia gets a high price for its oil – it keeps fighting. That’s why we need a strict price cap. As long as Russia finds ways to buy parts and equipment for weapons – it keeps killing. That’s why we need a full stop to all supplies to Russia of anything that is – or could be – used for making weapons. It is high time we established an efficient international platform to control dual-use exports – and it could be one of achievements of the Danish Presidency, we can work on it together. And we need to cut off Putin and his buddies from money. As long as Russian banks can still operate in Europe and other key parts of the world – Russia keeps ignoring diplomacy. We must push it back toward diplomacy.
Third – even if it’s not easy – we must do everything we can to keep cooperation between Europe and the United States strong. Yes, Europe should rely more on itself – especially when it comes to defense and protecting our people. But it’s always better to be in an alliance than in disagreement. So the next 6 months should bring real progress – to protect our partnerships and make our cooperation stronger.
No matter what anyone says, Europe is and will stay one of the world’s strongest players and a leader in human rights. Europe must also become a global leader in technology – especially in defense technologies. That’s a key goal. And most importantly, Europe must be a continent of peace. Let’s use the next 6 months to make the right decisions – especially for that.
Thank you!
Glory to Ukraine!
