On 31 August 31 – 1 September, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevhen Perebyinis took part in the Strategic Forum in Bled, Republic of Slovenia, and the panel discussion “Peace without Illusions: Ukraine and Rethinking European Security”.
During the discussion, the Deputy Minister emphasized that Ukraine seeks peace and remains committed to the diplomatic path to achieving it. At the same time, many years of Russian aggression indicate that the Kremlin is not truly ready for meaningful negotiations and an end to the war. “We must abandon the illusion that Russia can simply be persuaded to choose peace. Russia must be forced to make peace,” Yevhen Perebyinis emphasized.
According to him, for this it is necessary to focus on three key priorities. The first is to strengthen military support for Ukraine. Partners should act proactively, providing Ukraine with the necessary capabilities capable of changing the balance of power, in particular in the field of air and missile defense, long-range systems, unmanned technologies and other innovations. The second is to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. It is necessary to deprive Russia of resources to finance its military machine, strengthen measures against the "shadow fleet", Russian banks and the export of military technologies, as well as systematically block channels for circumventing sanctions. The third is to provide reliable security guarantees. Sustainable peace must be based on strong Armed Forces of Ukraine, a powerful defense-industrial complex and reliable guarantees from partners that will make it impossible for Russian aggression to be repeated. Yevhen Perebyinis also emphasized the key role of Ukraine in shaping the future architecture of European security. "The question is not whether Ukraine will contribute to European security, but how much stronger Europe will become together with Ukraine," the Deputy Minister noted. According to him, strengthening Ukraine today is the best investment in the common security future of Europe.
On the sidelines of the Forum, Yevhen Perebyinis held a number of bilateral meetings. Thus, during a meeting with Kerstin Jorna, Director General of the EC Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, the parties discussed further economic integration of Ukraine into the EU, in particular, gradual entry into the EU Single Market, development of industrial partnership and preparation for the conclusion of the Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptability of Industrial Products (ACAA). Particular attention was paid to involving Ukrainian industry in EU strategic initiatives and ensuring stable access of Ukrainian agricultural products to the European market.
During the meeting with Nikolaus Marschik, Secretary General of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Yevhen Perebyinis thanked Austria for its consistent support for Ukraine and stressed the importance of opening all negotiation clusters as soon as possible within the framework of the negotiation process on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. The parties also discussed further support for the Ukrainian energy sector, the development of alternative export routes for Ukrainian products and the preparation of the inaugural Summit of the Carpathian Integration Initiative, which will be held on 18 September in Ukraine.
During the meeting with Natalie Kauter, Director for the Western Balkans, Turkey, the United Kingdom, EFTA, Arctic Policy and the Council of Europe of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, Yevhen Perebyinis thanked Germany for its consistent support for Ukraine, in particular in strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, and stressed the importance of further assistance in preparing the energy system for the winter period. In addition, the interlocutors paid attention to the discussion of the opening of the remaining negotiation clusters on Ukraine's accession to the EU, the possibility of using frozen Russian assets, ensuring the functioning of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, as well as the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported and displaced by Russia.
As part of his participation in the Forum, Yevhen Perebyinis also gave an interview to the Institute for Defense, Security and Resilience "Trivelis Institute". During the conversation, the future architecture of European security and Ukraine's contribution to its formation were discussed, in particular, due to Ukrainian experience, technologies and resilience.