Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Brussels on Thursday morning marked a historic rapprochement between Ukraine and the European Union. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called for European unity in support of Ukraine as the country is not just fighting for its own territory, but for shared European values.
In a special address to the Special European Council, Metsola said that "today is an important day for European unity. President Zelenskyy’s words reverberated throughout Europe with a strong message of unity and a reminder that the battle for Ukraine is not just one for territory – but also one in defence of our shared values."
Repeating statements she made during Zelenskyy's introduction before his historic speech to the Parliament, Metsola stressed that "Ukraine still needs more support. Ukraine needs weapons and more heavy armour. Tanks, jets and long-range defence systems must be considered. There is no time for complacency. That is how we can help achieve peace. Peace with dignity. Peace with freedom. Peace with justice."
Last year, the Union took the "historic decision" to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, Metsola added. "Ukraine’s place is within the European Union. We must be ready to follow through with our word. Ukraine has been making remarkable headway with the pace of its reforms. I am hopeful that accession negotiations could begin as soon as possible – provided that Ukraine fulfils all necessary criteria."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (middle) and European Council President Charles Michel. Credit: Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck
During a joint press conference with European Council President Charles Michel and Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen referred to Zelenskyy's "strong and powerful" speech to the European Parliament earlier that day, and added that she "heard his urgency."
During that speech, Zelenskyy stressed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is not just a simple territorial struggle, but it is "about a dictator with huge resources using dictatorial means." The Kremlin is trying to destroy all central European values, underlining that they "are under threat."
Von der Leyen told Zelenskyy that all European leaders "heard the urgency of your call to support Ukraine now. You praised the European way of life, and you added that Ukrainians want to come home to this European way of life," she said. "And indeed, today, you see that we are one family; we have one vision. And family members help each other. You can count on us. We will continue to provide our full support."
Tenth sanctions package
She added that Russia must pay for the destruction caused and the blood spilt. "In the next days, we will propose the tenth package of sanctions. First, we will impose sanctions on a number of political and military leaders. But we also listened very carefully to your messages when we visited you last week in Kyiv. We will target Putin's propagandists. Because their lies are poisoning the public space in Russia and abroad."
The tenth sanction package will include additional export bans worth more than €10 billion, which will further starve Russia's military machine and continue to shake the foundation of its economy, said von der Leyen.
Unlike Zelenskyy's speech before the UK Parliament on Wednesday, he did not explicitly request fighter jets from the EU on Thursday. However, during the press conference with Michel and Von der Leyen, he did say that a number of EU Member States are ready to provide Ukraine with fighter jets and other heavy military equipment – following "positive" talks with several leaders, which he did not name.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Credit: EP
During his meeting with Council President Michel earlier on Thursday, Zelenskyy expressed the EU's firm commitment to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. The EU is committed to holding Russia to account for war crimes, crimes of aggression and other serious crimes. They also discussed Ukraine's initiative for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on full respect for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
For the first time since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Zelenskyy then physically joined the heads of state and government of the EU Member States at the table. "We must use all means to ensure that Europe remains united, supported and at peace. The stronger we are together, the stronger European peace will be," he said.
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"Europe's unity is fundamental to security. If we succeed in ensuring the long-term security of Europe, your names will go down in the history books, like those of Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet," Zelenskyy added, referring to the founding fathers of the EU.
Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that the bilateral talks he had with EU leaders were important as he had "no right to return home without results."
