Prime Minister Orban!
President Michel!
Dear Leaders!
I am glad for this opportunity to meet and work together for Europe and for our nations.
Yesterday, I spoke with President Trump, as many of you did. It was a productive conversation, a good conversation. Of course, we cannot yet know what his actions will be. But we do hope that America will become stronger. This is the kind of America that Europe needs. And a strong Europe is what America needs, to my mind. This is the connection between allies that must be valued and cannot be lost.
There are many challenges. Since our last meeting in this format, Russia’s war has escalated significantly. And it was Russia that caused this escalation. North Korea is now, in effect, waging war in Europe. North Korean soldiers are attempting to kill our people on European soil.
Since the European Political Community Summit in the UK in July, there has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some “concessions.” And really, even from Europe, some leaders were strongly advocating Ukraine making “concessions” to Putin. It’s unacceptable for Ukraine and unacceptable for all Europe. And what’s next? Should Europe seek the favor of Kim Jong Un in hopes that he, too, will leave Europe in peace? No strong leader who helped build a united, strong, and peaceful Europe would even imagine doing this. But the concept of “peace through strength” has proven its realism and effectiveness more than once. Now, it is needed once more.
And there should be no illusion that by showing weakness or selling out some European positions or any European country’s standing, one can buy just peace. It simply doesn’t work that way. Peace is the reward only for those strong. Thus, there is no alternative to a strong Europe. And unity is essential, of course, for strength.
Russia started this war not because it needed more territory. Of course not. Russia has more land than anyone. They wanted global power, starting with control over Ukraine and then over all of you, as they once did under Soviet or imperial rule. Budapest remembers what Soviet tanks looked like. Ukrainian cities will not forget Russian bombs. And just like Budapest, every city in Ukraine and all our countries deserves security and peace.
First of all, I thank all of you for your support of Ukraine and our people. We are defending ourselves not against Russian words, but against Russian attacks. Therefore, we need sufficient weapons, not support in talks. Hugs with Putin will not help. Some leaders have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse. He thinks only about wars and will not change. Only pressure can put limits on him.
Secondly, we have built a clear diplomatic system capable of pushing Russia toward a just peace. Most of the nations here have participated in this effort for effective diplomacy. Thematic conferences have already covered every point of the Peace Formula. Nuclear safety, food security, energy, the return of prisoners and deported people, deported children to Ukraine, and full enforcement of international law, and much more. We need to push Russia towards this. And a just peace will be a shared victory. The Plan of Victory is on your table. So Ukraine was the first to propose changing our common strategy to reach, and soon, a just peace.
And let me emphasize – this war is taking place on Ukrainian soil. It’s important. Ukraine is grateful for all the support from our partners, and we are open to any constructive ideas to achieve a just peace for our country. But it is up to Ukraine to decide what should and should not be on the agenda for ending this war.
The bill for this war should be sent to the Russians, not to Ukraine. So that Russia can no longer advance its false claims to everyone around – from the Baltics to the Balkans. Any country, any leader who respects international law and sits at this table should understand that predators always demand more and more gain.
Thirdly, during this war, we have seen certain European approaches fail.
For example, the closer a country is to Russia, the weaker the concept of neutrality becomes. The rapid accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO showed how European and Alliance leaders truly envision guaranteed security – not through words, but through NATO. Ukraine has taken note of this.
Fourthly, Russian assets. I want to thank everyone, every leader who defends Ukraine’s right to use funds from Russian assets to protect against Russian aggression. The Russian state values neither people nor morality – they value only money. And that is why it is also a lesson for them when Russian assets work for Ukraine. Fairly speaking, this is Ukrainian money. It is in Ukraine that Russian forces have destroyed hundreds of towns and villages. Millions of our people have lost their homes. This requires funds. And now, instead of looking for reasons to delay decisions, it is necessary to find a mechanism to direct the funds to Ukraine so they can be put to work as quickly as possible.
Fifthly, Putin’s war funds. We all know Russia still profits from selling oil enough to continue its war. Russia still evades sanctions and buys drone and missile components worldwide. Russia still has the capacity to spread instability and interfere in nations’ lives in places like the Sahel, North Africa, the Middle East, and other countries like Yemen. Why does Putin do this?
We need leverage over him. All of Europe needs it.
And together we can not only stop Russia’s war against Ukraine, but we can also respond to other challenges. This is possible for us – this is possible for Europe, not for any one leader alone. Please, stand together in defending the common interests of our nations. And we must likewise work together with our allies for our shared interests.
Thank you again for the invitation, Mr. Prime Minister. Thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support.
Glory to Ukraine!
