Check against delivery! 

As you can suppose, it is going to be a long, intense and difficult Foreign Affairs Council.  

On the table - first, as always - [is] Ukraine. After the Summit [for Peace in Ukraine] in Switzerland, where a diplomatic track has been opened. And the answer from Putin travelling to North Korea, travelling everywhere where he can get arms, he is clearly preparing for a long war. From our side, the diplomatic track has to continue working, but we have to increase our support to Ukraine. 

We have these revenues coming from the frozen assets, and we have to look for a way in order to use them, avoiding any kind of blockage. We have a process in order to make this work quickly. The first tranche of money will come next week, in July. The second will come some months later. This money cannot be stopped. It has to be used, and we have a legal procedure in order to avoid any kind of blockage.  

We have discussed about it, but as you know we still have six legal decisions that cannot be implemented due to one Member [State] refusing it. We have to avoid this happening for the Russian revenues. We have a solution and we put it on the table today.  

Ukraine needs more help - and needs more help now. Now, before the summer. And I hope that the ministers will support the proposal that we have tabled in order to make this support increase using the Russian revenues. 

Second, certainly, it will be the situation in Gaza, and in the Middle East.  

I am asking you to pay attention to the Joint Statement that we issued yesterday, Commissioner [for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Janez] Lenarčič and myself. It was a cry of alarm. I think [that] everything that can be said, is said in this statement, where we say that the delivery of humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become impossible. 

And despite all the tactical pauses announced, the situation is that no help is entering into Gaza. The help is stockpiling out of the border, some of these goods are perishing, they will be destroyed, not used, lost. But the important thing is not the financial value of the things that will be lost, but the fact that they cannot come into [Gaza]. And if they come into [Gaza], it is not possible to distribute them because the lack of any kind of organisation.  

The social fabric – not the buildings – has been destroyed. The civil society is unravelling.  

On the other hand, the [President of the United States, Joe] Biden[‘s] Plan. We support it, and we [will] continue supporting [it]. Certainly, [it is] not being implemented, by lack of will from both sides. The last declaration from Prime Minister [of Israel, Benyamin] Netanyahu confirms that, unhappily, this plan is not going to be implemented.  

But we will continue supporting these kinds of ideas. We need desperately a ceasefire that could allow humanitarian help to enter into Gaza. Otherwise, the tragedy will be incommensurable.  

It is already inconceivable. This weekend has been one of the bloodiest days – more than 100 Palestinians being killed by attacks that included distribution centres of UNRWA and other UN organisations.  

Then, you see, there has been this report from the [High Commissioner for] Human Rights of the United Nations [Volker Türk] explaining the violations of human rights – by both sides.  But the consequences are inconceivable for the civilian people in Gaza. 

The risk of this war affecting the South of Lebanon and spilling over is also every day bigger. We are strongly concerned. I hope that the ministers will support our initiative and continue reaching out to our partners in order to continue to look for a strong international support for a ceasefire. 

Then, there is Georgia. Do not forget about Georgia. 

We are going to discuss the situation in Georgia and one thing is clear: the door for Georgia to become member of the European Union is open. But if the government continues on the same track, continues doing what they are doing, this door will be closed. And the Georgian people will pay the consequences, will suffer the fact that the European perspective will be diminished or even cancelled.  

We are talking about serious things. If things continue like this, the door to the European Union will not be open. And today, I [will] present an option paper to the ministers, explaining the different things that we can do in the short and medium term in order to make this not to continue in Georgia. 

I also distributed an analysis of all the relationship that we have with Israel and Palestine, in order for ministers to look at and see what they can do in order to put pressure on both sides. 

Q&A 

Q. What measures you will discuss today [regarding] Georgia? What measures are on the table, and should we expect decisions today? 

Decisions – operational decisions – today, no. Because today is an orientation debate. As I said, I put on the table a full analysis of what we can do, and the ministers will debate about it. So, do not expect concrete decisions today, it is political orientation debate. But in the short term, there are measures that can be taken, for example: stopping the support through the European Peace Facility; or stopping the high-level political contacts; or considering to stop a part of the financial support that goes directly to the government. We do not want to affect civilians. We do not want to put more pain on the civilian people, but there are decisions – and they are listed – and at the end of the day, I can tell you what has been the reaction of ministers to my proposals. 

Q. The diplomatic efforts you did yourself during the last days, towards the Lebanese and others, and your Cyprus colleague. Do you believe that these days you contained the crisis, you are less worried?  

No, I am more worried, much more worried. Much more. Every day, the crisis is spilling over. Every day there are more bombings on both sides of the border with Lebanon. Unhappily, we are on the eve of the war expanding. 

Q. Hungary [inaudible] is slamming the door, saying that they are not opening any chapter on the accession talks [with Ukraine]. Does it make sense then to open the accession talks tomorrow? 

Let’s see, I cannot anticipate the result of the debate.  

Q. Can you explain a little bit the details. How will you use frozen assets without Hungary blocking it? 

Well, the Treaty provides legal ways in order to advance, even if some Member State does not want to participate. And we consider that, since Hungary did not participate in the decision [previously], it is not necessary that they could participate on the implementation of the decision. The decision is clear: the revenues coming from the frozen assets - Russian frozen assets - will be used to increase our military support to Ukraine. The first tranche of money will come [in the] next weeks. We cannot have this money on our side, we need to use it. We have a legal procedure in order to advance avoiding any blockage from some Member State who are not part of the decision. This has to be discussed, certainly, with the Ministers.  

Q. Can you explain us this €1.4 billion [of] EU money for Ukraine? Is it new money, the frozen assets? 

It is fully new money. 

Q. But coming from the [proceeds from the] frozen assets? 

Yes. 

Q. Are you going to decide that today or how does it work? 

Today, we are going to approve the method in order to use this money. This money is already here. We decided to take this money – we are not going to reconsider a decision which has already been taken. Now, we have to implement this decision: the money will come next week. I cannot have this money in my pocket, this money is for military support to Ukraine. The decision has to be taken immediately, avoiding any kind of blockage. This is what we are going to decide today. 

Q. What is the amount, €1.4 [billion]?  

€2.5 [billion].  

Q. Next week? 

No, next week, one part of this €2.5 [billion]. The other part will come some weeks later. 

Q. How will you make sure that the EU is not driven into the Lebanese conflict with Cyprus – already having one at its border? 

Nothing is sure here. We are doing everything we can in order to avoid it. But I cannot be sure. I cannot control the events, I do not have a magic wand. What we can do is to continue our diplomatic efforts, reaching out to partners and to put pressure in order for this to happen. But certainly, I cannot be sure that this will not happen.  

I will tell you after the meeting. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-258895