During his speech at a special meeting of the European Council in Brussels, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked all the assembled leaders for their support in recent days and weeks.
The Head of State particularly stressed that despite the events in world politics, Europe remains united and tries to take the right steps.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed that the negotiating teams of Ukraine and the United States have resumed their work, and expressed hope for a meaningful meeting next week.
“Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war, and we have always said that the only reason why the war continues is because of Russia. Ukraine is not only ready to take the necessary steps for peace, but we are also proposing what those steps are. And I ask you to support us in this – support Ukraine and those European leaders who are helping to pave the way for peace,” he emphasized.
According to the President, first of all, everyone must make sure that Russia, as the sole source of this war, accepts the need to end it. This can be proved by two forms of silence that are easy to establish and monitor: no attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure, namely a truce on missiles, bombs and long-range drones, and a truce on the water, meaning the cessation of military operations in the Black Sea.
As the next step, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for ensuring basic trust to the circumstances under which the negotiations are taking place.
“Ukrainians, all Europeans, Americans, every human heart in the world that does not agree with the war – we all need to feel that the Russians are not deceiving us. The release of prisoners can be a means of establishing basic trust,” the Head of State noted.
The President additionally stressed that any issues related to the security of Ukraine and Europe should be resolved only with their participation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also welcomed the efforts of the European Commission to rearm Europe and supported the ReArm Europe plan.
“The defense funds under this European Plan should strengthen all parts of Europe, and I call for a significant part to be allocated to arms production in Ukraine – our industrial capabilities are the fastest and most relevant to the current security threats,” the Head of State said.
