As part of his participation in the High-level week of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha held a joint meeting with his colleagues from the Nordic and Baltic countries — Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister emphasized that the volume of military assistance provided to Ukraine by the Nordic-Baltic Eight is among the largest from our partners and thanked them for their decisive leadership in supporting Ukraine.
The Minister informed his colleagues about the atrocities committed by Russian occupiers against Ukrainians, including murders, kidnappings, extrajudicial executions, torture of prisoners of war, and other crimes.
“Justice is one of the key points of the Peace Formula proposed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Holding Russian criminals accountable for their atrocities is a prerequisite for achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace. I am grateful for all your efforts towards this goal and call for enhanced cooperation,” the Minister stated.
The Head of MFA also updated his colleagues on Ukraine's energy needs ahead of winter. The ministers of the Nordic-Baltic Eight assured their readiness to strengthen support for Ukraine’s energy resilience through specific contributions and actions.
The parties also focused on enhancing sanctions against Russia, collaborative efforts to expand the coalition supporting the Peace Formula, bilateral visits, and the development of political dialogue.
The interlocutors additionally discussed international legal proceedings to hold Russia and its nationals accountable, particularly for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, and agreed on further active involvement of the Nordic and Baltic states in these efforts.
Furthermore, the parties talked through several urgent issues for Ukraine, such as lifting restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory and Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO.
Finally, the ministers coordinated the further development of the Ukraine – Nordic-Baltic Eight format and the upcoming meetings.