Ukraine: press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas at the joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
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Thank you.
It is great to be here again in Kyiv. Ukraine is really in our hearts and minds all the time.
The European Union is standing beside you and supporting you in different areas: politically, but also financially and militarily.
Ukraine's defence is European defence. That is why we are also working on the next packages to help you with the military needs.
When it comes to also politically supporting you, then we are working on the 19th package of sanctions to put more pressure on Russia to really end this war.
Russia's economy is already weak. We are making it weaker by our sanctions, so that they would finish and stop funding this war.
Of course, the winter is coming. We see Russia has increased the tax on the civilian infrastructure to cause as much suffering for the Ukrainian people for the winter, and that is why also Europe stands ready to support Ukraine in this, to help to repair the critical infrastructure and energy in particular.
So, we are working on a support package here.
What you also mentioned, the [Special] Tribunal, I think this is very important because there couldn't be any justice without accountability.
We set up the Special Tribunal for the Crimes of Aggression, but now we are providing also funding for this tribunal and also calling on other Member States, countries, participants to fund it, so that the work can really start full scale. Because without accountability, there is no just and lasting peace.
And finally, what you also mentioned, the EU accession process. Ukraine's future is in Europe. That is very clear.
Ukraine has done a lot of work on their side to really deliver on the conditions, and we are working also on our side to go forward with the accession process to really show hope for the Ukrainian people.
And finally, on the funding, of course, the needs are huge. We need to support Ukraine so that Ukraine can defend itself, and we don't have to make so many investments on reparation of critical infrastructure.
But it's also important that we are working on the use of frozen assets via this reparations loan. It is clear that Russia owes for the damages that it has caused to Ukraine. Therefore, we have come up with this reparations loan scheme.
We hope that it goes through, and Ukraine can use the funding really for the needs it has. The work is still ongoing, but we hope that we are able to do this fast.
Thank you very much.
Q&A
Q. My second question for Ms. Kallas. First of all, thank you for your support. You today mentioned that Moscow has to pay for this war, not European taxpayers. That's why my question will be about the 19th sanction package. We know that now Hungary and Slovakia are trying to postpone the adoption of this package. That is why my question: does it mean that the decision will not be in the summit, because of their resistance? Or do you have some scenario to overcome this veto? Thank you so much.
Thank you for your question. It is the 19th package of sanctions. And every time, we have had difficulties, because we are 27 Member States and 27 different democracies. So, the debates are ongoing. We are trying to get to a result by the European summit that is happening next week. But even if we are not able to deliver next week, then the work is ongoing. I am positive that eventually we will have the result and decision like we have had before. Thank you.
Q. HR/VP Kallas, I wonder if you could tell us what your view is on the American role now. And sort of how Europe can support that.
It is clear that we all want this war to end. Ukraine wants this war to end. Europeans want this war to end. Also, America wants this war to end. The only one who doesn't want this war to end is Russia. Our call to all allies is to help Ukraine militarily so that they can defend itself and push back Russian aggression. And our call to everybody is also to follow our sanctions to put the pressure on Russia so that they will run out of means to fund this war so that this war can end.
Q. You said today that you welcome all the tools that can make Ukraine stronger. That includes Tomahawks? And if so, you will be ready to finance that via Russian frozen assets or no? Thank you.
It is clear that on the military needs that Ukraine has, Ukraine knows the best – whether it is Patriots, whether it's Tomahawks, whether it's all the capabilities you can mention. So It is not up to us to say, but for Ukraine to say what they really need. What we are trying to do is help Ukraine with these needs. That is why we are discussing also different initiatives, how we can help Ukraine. When it comes to the frozen assets, this reparations loan, that is based on the frozen assets and based on the idea that Russia owes Ukraine for the damages that it has caused here, then it should be up to Ukraine to decide also for what this money is used.
Q. Madam Kallas, if you could also tell us, apart from what you've mentioned today, the 100 million, if you could tell us what exactly you can do. Thank you.
The first side of this is really to help Ukraine to defend itself, because if Ukraine is able to defend itself, then this critical infrastructure is not damaged. I think this is the first line that we have to work on. The second line, what our energy people are working on is to really [see] what kind of help Ukraine needs to repair this infrastructure, to protect this infrastructure, so that people would have heat, people would have water, people would have energy for the upcoming cold winter. But the work is ongoing and hopefully will be finished soon.
Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/media/video/I-278793