On Wednesday, November 26, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, took part online in an extraordinary informal meeting of the Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the European Union, jointly with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Baiba Braže, who is on a visit to Ukraine.
Andrii Sybiha informed his European colleagues about the current developments in peace efforts following the Ukrainian side's receipt of proposals from the US and work at the level of national security advisors, including the meeting in Geneva.
He emphasized that Ukraine is committed to peace and welcomes the efforts of US President Donald Trump, and is set for constructive work to end the war.
"It is critically important not to allow anyone to portray Ukraine or Europe as an obstacle to peace," the Minister noted.
The Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs repeated that Ukraine will use every, even the smallest, opportunity to achieve a just peace. At the same time, he recalled that Russia is still striving to prolong the war, not to seek peace.
The Russian Federation is not stopping attacks against civilians and strikes on critical infrastructure, even during the intensification of peace efforts. The Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled another massive Russian strike, which killed seven and wounded over two dozen people, and noted that Russian drones, in particular, violated the airspace of Moldova and Romania.
“President Trump wants peace. President Zelensky wants peace. European leaders want peace. Only Putin wants the continuation of the war," he stated.
The head of the Ukrainian diplomatic service called on European partners to continue increasing support for Ukraine and raising the price of war for the aggressor. In this context, he highlighted five priority steps.
Firstly, the swift adoption of the 20th package of EU sanctions against the Russian Federation is important. Its key elements must include restrictions on Russia's access to maritime services, sanctions against third-country ports, Russian financial institutions, oligarchs, and an expansion of the list of categories of prohibited goods.
Secondly, the fastest possible final decision on the reparations credit and the full use of immobilized assets of the Russian Federation is necessary;
Thirdly, the practical opening of negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the EU;
Fourthly, strengthening Ukraine with additional defense capabilities, aggressor deterrence packages, financial support, and investments in the defense industry;
Fifthly, preparation of effective security guarantees to prevent the recurrence of war.
Andrii Sybiha called on his European colleagues to maintain transatlantic unity, as only Russia can benefit from disagreements between Europe and the US.
The Minister once again expressed gratitude to the European partners for their support and solidarity and reiterated his call to intensify high-level visits to Ukraine as a sign of support for our people.