Remarks by President Charles Michel at the press conference of the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv

 

Friday 3 February 2023

● European Council   03/02/2023 16:50 | Statements and remarks | Remarks by President Charles Michel at the press conference of the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv   Good afternoon everyone. Dear President (Zelenskyy), first of all let me thank you for hosting today’s Summit. This Summit has made two things absolutely clear. The first is a message for you and for the people of Ukraine. The European Union will support you in every way we can, for as long as it takes. We are not intimidated and will not be intimated by the Kremlin. Because Ukraine and the EU we are family. And my second message: the future of Ukraine is within the European Union. Ukrainian people, you have made a clear choice for freedom, democracy, and rule of law. And we in the EU have also made a clear decision: your future is with us, in our common European Union, your destiny is our destiny. That’s why together with Ursula (von der Leyen) and Josep Borrell we are here today, standing by your side, Mr President, dear Volodymyr (Zelenskyy) is again a moving moment. Because you are a symbol of your people, a reflection of your people's courage and bravery. Our support has been rock solid since day one, and that will continue. Our overall support amounts to nearly 50 billion euros, from weapons to military support, from generators to transformers, supporting your schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure. We are determined to help you win on the battlefield. So far, Team Europe has mobilised nearly 12 billion euros of military support, including lethal military support. And we are training an initial 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year. The EU has also secured 18 billion euros of Macro-Financial Assistance for 2023. We also provide strong humanitarian and civil protection assistance. Millions of Ukrainians have fled the war, seeking safety and protection. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all Europeans who have stepped up to help these women, children, and families with housing, education, healthcare, and childcare. This is an emblem of our European solidarity, and that will continue. We will continue to ramp up the pressure on Russia to end the war. The EU has already adopted nine packages of hard-hitting sanctions, and we will do more. A tenth package is being designed to curb Russia's war machine even further. These sanctions are working, weakening Russia’s economy and depriving it of critical technologies. The Kremlin is committing war crimes in Ukraine and must be held accountable. We support the investigations of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The EU and Ukraine continue to work together to ensure full accountability. This includes for the crime of aggression through an appropriate mechanism. We support establishing an international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine in The Hague. In addition to accountability, it only makes sense that Russia should pay to rebuild Ukraine. We are committed to looking at ways of using frozen Russian assets to rebuild what Russia has destroyed. Both Ukraine and the EU share the common goal of ending this war — based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We therefore support Ukraine’s Peace Formula initiative and will actively work with Ukraine on the 10-point peace plan. We also back the idea of a Peace Formula Summit to launch this plan. Last June, the 27 EU Member States decided to grant candidate status to Ukraine. This was a major step. Since then, Ukraine has made considerable efforts and progress — especially on judicial reform and fighting corruption. We encourage Ukraine to continue strengthening the rule of law, because it benefits every Ukrainian citizen. We will be at your side every step of the way. In the meantime, we continue working hand in hand to unlock the full potential of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA). We are also working to include Ukraine in the European roaming area as soon as possible. Another concrete step in bringing Ukraine and the EU closer together. Dear President, dear Volodymyr (Zelenskyy), the EU is with you today. The EU will be with you and your people tomorrow and for as long as it takes. We will be right by your side to rebuild a modern, prosperous Ukraine firmly anchored on our common European path. Because there can be no safe and independent Europe without a safe and independent Ukraine. Ukraine is the EU, the EU is Ukraine, let’s make it happen. Slava Ukraini! Vive l’Europe!