Dear António,
Commissioners,
Today, we stand in Kyiv on a grim anniversary. It has been four years since Russia launched its full-scale war against your country. But even in the face of this terror, the resilience of the Ukrainian people remains undimmed. We have seen four years of extraordinary courage from your soldiers and your citizens, whose bravery will echo through history. This will never be forgotten. In those four years, the support from your friends and allies has been unwavering – in Europe and beyond. And you can count on it. Since the beginning of the war, the EU has provided nearly EUR 200 billion in military and financial support. More than any other partner. And there is more to come.
Let me spell out three ways how our support will be maintained, and reinforced. The first one is the EU loan of EUR 90 billion. We call it the steel porcupine loan, because it should give Ukraine the strength of a steel porcupine – indigestible for potential invaders. Let me be crystal clear – and the President of the Council also said it –, the loan was agreed by 27 Heads of State and Government at the European Council. They have given their word. It cannot be broken. We will deliver on the loan one way or the other. Let me be very clear, we have different options, and we will use them.
Now let us look at the loan itself. The first priority of the porcupine loan is to address your most urgent defence needs. It will help to procure, to produce, to develop, and to secure advanced defence equipment for the brave Ukrainian forces. Thar ranges from drones, to missiles, to ammunition. And the work has already started. Together with the Ukrainian forces, we have identified a first priority package. Our aim is to deliver it before Easter. It includes drones and ammunition. In parallel, we are working intensely on the integration of both our defence industries. We can learn a lot from the Ukrainian defence industry. You can count on us with our well-established structures in the defence industries. More integration is the goal. Of course, the ultimate goal is that your soldiers will gain a decisive edge on the battlefield to protect Ukraine. And, of course, the EU will have access to valuable, cutting-edge innovation that is also applicable to other industries.
The second priority is to help you through this harsh winter. 'Invincibility tents' – we have seen it this morning, we visited one – have become the symbol of the Ukrainian solidarity and the unbreakable resolve of Ukraine. In this difficult moment, let me reassure you that we stand firmly by your side. The European Commission is the largest donor of energy support, to a value of EUR 3 billion so far. Since the start of the war, hawse have provided over 11,000 generators. Almost 1,000 delivered in January alone. But of course, we have to go further. Therefore, we now have a new package of EUR 100 million to deliver immediate support, so for what is needed right now. It is available immediately. And while we help you through this winter, we start preparing for the next one, together with you. We will work on a new Winter Energy Plan for 2026-2027. We call it 'Repair, Rebuild, Restart'. It will include a package of EUR 920 million, to stabilise Ukraine's energy system. It will secure the steady flow of electricity across the country. It will accelerate the decentralised production of renewable energy. President Zelenskyy mentioned how important it is. It will of course repair, rebuild and modernise grids. And it will repair and restart damaged power plants.
Let me add that there is a lot of coordination that has to be done, because a lot of in-kind support is needed. It is available, but we have to bring it together. Commissioner Jørgensen and Deputy Prime Minister Shmyhal will convene a 'Energy Ramstein' in March already in order to coordinate and have a very seamless and precise work from both sides – Ukraine and the European Union. It will ensure that Ukraine gets the exact supplies and material it needs now.
Finally, let me address the issue of energy security within the European Union. The Russian attacks on the Druzhba pipeline have had a direct impact on European energy security. We sharply condemn these Russian attacks. I would like to thank Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, for his efforts to secure and increase the transport of oil to Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia through the Adriatic pipeline. In the meantime, we ask for the repairs on the Druzhba pipeline after the Russian attacks to be accelerated.
Our third priority is to maintain maximum pressure on the aggressor. We will soon get our 20th sanctions package over the line. Our sanctions will keep draining Russia's revenues and weakening its war machine. And we are closely coordinating with our G7 partners for maximum scope and impact.
Dear Volodymyr,
This morning, we honoured your fallen at the People's Memorial on Maidan Square. And today, I am also thinking of their comrades, bravely holding the line in the trenches. They fight for peace. They fight for a better future for their children. They fight for a simple dream of a free and sovereign Ukraine, at the heart of a free Europe. So let me conclude by saying to them: Europe will stand by you and stand with you until you have made that dream come true.
Long live Europe and slava Ukraini.
