On March 16, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha traditionally took part online in the monthly meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy thanked colleagues from EU member states for the support that allowed for overcoming a difficult winter of war.
"The Russian war continues. Russian terror continues. Just this morning, debris from a Russian drone fell right on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in the center of Kyiv," the Minister noted.
Against the backdrop of a turbulent geopolitical situation in the world, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy highlighted three key points in his address.
First, the Minister called on European colleagues not to lose focus on supporting Ukraine, as a just and lasting peace in Europe remains a common priority.
The head of the MFA informed colleagues about the situation on the battlefield. In particular, in February of this year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated more territory than the Russian occupiers managed to seize.
Andrii Sybiha also emphasized Ukraine's commitment to the peace process and readiness for the next round of trilateral negotiations. At the same time, he underlined that achieving real progress requires a meeting at the level of leaders.
Second, the war in the Middle East has demonstrated Ukraine's role as a security contributor. The Minister informed colleagues that Ukraine has received requests from a total of eleven countries regarding the provision of security support in connection with the aggressive actions of the Iranian regime.
"For years, Iran has supplied weapons to the Russian aggressor. Today, the Iranian regime is a terrorist and nuclear threat. Ukraine has decided to help with a practical contribution — just as it did earlier within the 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative," the Minister emphasized.
Third, pressure on the aggressor must continue, and support for Ukraine must grow. The head of the MFA outlined key priorities for Ukraine in the dimensions of security and energy. He separately emphasized the necessity of the fastest possible approval of the twentieth EU sanctions package — to prevent Russia from obtaining benefits from the events in the Middle East.
The Minister also stressed the need to unblock the agreed credit of 90 billion euros and the inadmissibility of tying these funds to the functioning of the "Druzhba" oil pipeline.
"In this context, any blackmail of Ukraine through the seizure of our people and state funds is absolutely unacceptable. We call on Hungary to ensure the return of state funds to Ukraine," he emphasized.
Separately, Andrii Sybiha focused on the topic of Ukraine's future membership in the EU and called on colleagues to look at it not only through the prism of enlargement, but also as an important element of long-term security and stability in Europe. This also applies to the membership of other candidates — the countries of the Western Balkans and Moldova.
The Minister called on partners in the current conditions to further mobilize efforts.
"Countering the aggressive regime of Iran must take place together with increasing pressure on the aggressive regime of Russia," Andrii Sybiha emphasized.