Sybiha outlines five priority steps to European partners to support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha participated online in an extraordinary informal meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers, along with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who is visiting Kyiv. He called for increased support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service, Sybiha briefed his European colleagues on the current developments in peace efforts following Ukraine's receipt of US proposals and the ongoing work at the level of national security advisers, including the meeting in Geneva.
He emphasized that Ukraine is committed to peace and welcomes the efforts of US President Donald Trump, committed to constructive work to end the war.
"It is crucial that no one portray Ukraine or Europe as an obstacle to peace," the minister noted.
The Foreign Minister reiterated that Ukraine will seize every opportunity, even the smallest one, to achieve a just peace. At the same time, he recalled that Russia still seeks to prolong the war rather than seek peace.
"President Trump wants peace. President Zelenskyy wants peace. European leaders want peace. Only Putin wants the war to continue," he said.
The head of the Ukrainian diplomatic service called on European partners to further increase their support for Ukraine and raise the costs of war for the aggressor. In this context, he outlined five priority steps.
First, he said, it's crucial to quickly adopt the 20th EU sanctions package against Russia. Its key elements should include restrictions on Russia's access to maritime services, sanctions against third-country ports, Russian financial institutions, and oligarchs, and an expanded list of prohibited goods. Second, a final decision on the reparations loan and the full use of Russia's frozen assets is essential.
Thirdly, as Sybiha noted, this is the practical opening of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU; fourthly, strengthening Ukraine with additional defense capabilities, deterrence packages, financial support, and investments in the defense industry;
The fifth priority is to prepare effective security guarantees to prevent a recurrence of war.
Sybiha called on his European colleagues to maintain transatlantic unity, as only Russia stands to benefit from the discord between Europe and the United States.
The minister once again expressed gratitude to his European partners for their support and solidarity and reiterated his call for increased high-level visits to Ukraine as a sign of support for the Ukrainian people.
