Poroshenko speaks at Political Assembly of European People's Party in Brussels, calls for support for democratic Ukraine
Petro Poroshenko spoke at the Political Assembly of the European People's Party in Brussels, where the presentation of candidates for the positions of European Commissioners from the EPP took place, according to the website of European Solidarity.
As previously reported, the European People's Party received the most mandates in the elections to the European Parliament, therefore more than half of the positions in the European Commission are held by its representatives, including the key position of the President of the EC, which was occupied for the second time in a row by Ursula von der Leyen.
Poroshenko called on future European Commissioners to cast aside their fear of Putin and ensure Ukraine's victory in the war. He also said our country's membership in the EU and NATO is one of the main conditions for victory over the aggressor country.
"Today there is great responsibility for the next five years of the European Commission, the European Parliament. Excellent elections were held, and we have an excellent result. You have the trust of the people and must meet the criteria of this trust. You must be ready to take responsibility for the security of Europe," Poroshenko called on the MEPs.
"Despite the outcome of the U.S. elections, we, Europeans, must be ready to act effectively. Our victory over Putin, over his regime, over Putin's Russia is impossible without Ukraine's accession to the EU and without Ukraine's accession to NATO. We must ensure maximum speed of negotiations on accession to the EU without any artificial obstacles. At the same time, the accession process must be based on merit – without turning a blind eye to shortcomings in fundamental principles: in democracy, in the rule of law, in an independent judiciary, human rights, respect for the opposition, in all European values that move our nation forward," Poroshenko believes.
"Ukraine will win as a democracy. We cannot win the war – and lose the peace. That is why it is so important for us to preserve democracy. That is why the EU must be and remain an objective watchdog for reforming Ukraine, and not for slowing down reforms," Poroshenko said.
He also once again reminded about the "red lines" in relation to Ukraine. "No compromises on Ukrainian sovereignty. No compromises on territorial integrity. No compromises on democracy. No compromises on security and weakening the Ukrainian army, perhaps one of the strongest on the continent now. No compromises on values. That's why I'm here. That's why I want to thank all of you. And that's why we are together to demonstrate unity for the next five years," Poroshenko said.