President of European Council proposes to hold a donors' conference to support Ukraine
European Council President Charles Michel proposes holding a donors' conference to support Ukraine.
This was stated by the President of the European Council Charles Michel during his speech at the session of the European Parliament, Ukrinform reports.
"We welcome the European Commission's initiative to mobilize 1.2 billion euros of macro-financial assistance for Ukraine. But I'm convinced that we must move forward together with our partners. I want to launch an initiative on closer cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union and a donors' conference to support Ukraine, which is in a difficult economic situation," said Michel.
He stated that the large-scale increase in Russian troops along Ukraine's borders was the largest since the Cold War, and such actions by Russia pose a great threat to European security.
"The current crisis, provoked by the actions of the Russian Federation, poses risks to the entire European agenda. The European Union, member states, NATO allies, we're working to resolve this crisis with unprecedented intensity, at all levels, and on a daily basis, we hold political consultations and we work together, our unity is stronger than ever," said Michel.
He outlined the three main components of the EU's strategy for overcoming the current crisis, which was provoked by the actions of the Russian Federation.
The first is the search for a diplomatic solution. According to Michel, the leaders of European countries and the United States have activated a broad diplomatic platform for negotiations with Russia, including within NATO, the OSCE, and the Normandy format.
Michel noted that the European side would never give up the priority use of diplomatic channels, even if these efforts didn't bring immediate and tangible results.
"Over the past two days, Russia has been sending signals that it may be open to diplomacy. We call on Russia to take concrete and substantial steps towards de-escalation. This is a condition for open political dialogue. We cannot and will not make diplomatic efforts when the other party builds troops," said the President of the European Council.
The second area of work to resolve the current security crisis is the preparation of large-scale restrictive measures against Russia in the event of its new aggression against Ukraine.
"The price of aggression for Russia must be high, the consequences must be massive, and we must ensure that these consequences are accepted by all 27 EU countries. When the time comes, the EU Council will make a statement and take the necessary political decisions. We will be in close contact with our partners and allies," said Michel.
The third point of the European strategy is to strengthen support for Ukraine and its people. According to him, this includes the European Union's political support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. On the other hand, it should be effective financial support, given the severe consequences of the current security crisis for Ukraine's economy.
Michel conveyed a message of solidarity for the entire people of Ukraine and stressed that the European Union supported the democratic choice of Ukrainians during the Revolution of Dignity, would not leave them alone in the current crisis.
The President of the European Council addressed another message to the Russian authorities, which must choose between war and the tragic losses associated with it and through dialogue to find lasting solutions to mutual security and stability. If Russia chooses aggression, the EU's response will be united and firm, Michel said.
He noted that a large-scale EU-Africa summit would be held in Brussels today, with participants expressing solidarity with Ukraine.
