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How many times, after the Second World War we said, “never again.” Then, we had a war in the territory of former Yugoslavia.  

Soon, we will mark three years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  

President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, 

This is a sombre milestone. During these three years, the Ukrainian people have endured unimaginable hardship: families have been torn apart, and many lives have forever changed. 

Three years of children learning to read in underground schools. Three years of people worrying about their loved ones. Three years of running for shelter almost every night.  

But through the darkness, the Ukrainian people have shown impressive bravery and resilience. Ukrainians have stood together to defend not only their land, but also their values, their freedom, and their future. A future that they see as a member of the European Union. 

On my first day in office, during my visit to Kyiv, I met Maksym Butkevych, a human rights activist. He had spent two years in Russian captivity. He told me: “What helped me survive was believing in values.” Values gave him hope. He looked at the European Union as a guardian of human dignity, of freedom and democracy, of solidarity and human rights. His dream of a better tomorrow gave him hope during the darkest times. 

Many in Ukraine look to Europe because they have seen a world without values. A world of brutality, injustice, and impunity. 

This is the fundamental issue at the heart of this war: What kind of world do we want to live in? 

A world where military power dictates the fate of nations? 

Or a world built on rules? Rules that ensure that every nation has the right to decide its own future. 

The courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people have inspired the world – but inspiration alone is not enough. This is not just Ukraine’s fight. It is a fight for the values that define us all. And for Europe’s very own security.  

Ukraine needs our continued political, economic and military support. Ukraine’s fight is also our fight – for a Europe that values justice over aggression, and unity over division. By supporting Ukraine, we are also safeguarding the very foundations of European peace and security. 

Together, we must remain resolute. 

The European Commission, together with all [EU] institutions and Member States, has mobilised unprecedented support for Ukraine on many fronts: military support to continue its courageous fight against the aggressor; humanitarian assistance for millions of Ukrainians—both those in the country and those seeking protection in the EU; economic and financial support to ensure that [the] State can maintain essential public services and that the economy continues functioning.  

This includes repairing energy infrastructure, a constant target of Russian attacks, and ensuring, with the Solidarity Lanes, that Ukrainian exports can reach the global markets, where Ukrainian grain is most needed.  

We are also setting the foundations of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction after the devastation of the war. And we are also supporting Ukraine to implement ambitious reforms that will bring it closer to European Union membership. 

On all these fronts, the European Commission is responding decisively, in coordination with the Member States. By now, combined support from the European Union and Member States exceeds €134 billion. Together, we are the largest international donor and the largest public investor in Ukraine’s defence sector. 

Let me give you some examples: 

We have established the Ukraine Facility, which is providing up to €50 billion in grants and loans. This helps Ukraine continue functioning and advance its ambitious reform agenda. 

The Ukraine Facility comes on top of more than €28 billion in macro-financial assistance that the European Union has provided since 2022.  

We have also mobilised €48.5 billion in crucial military support. We have contributed over one million rounds of ammunition and will have trained 75,000 soldiers by the end of this winter. 

4.5 million people who fled the war have received temporary protection in the European Union. 

And we are working closely with international and European financial institutions, to set the foundations of Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. 

The European Union has taken resolute steps to support Ukraine – and our commitment must not waver. Ukraine deserves just peace: we must put Ukraine in a position of strength, especially ahead of potential discussions to end this war of aggression.  

Ukraine will need strong, credible, long-term security guarantees to deter future attacks. 

The European Union will continue using revenues from immobilised Russian assets to support to Ukraine’s defence industry, provide ammunition and air defence, and finance urgent reparations of energy infrastructure. Work is ongoing to integrate European Union and Ukrainian industrial bases.  

And the European Union is preparing further sanction packages to further hamper Russia’s ability to wage this war. 

At the same time, we will continue supporting Ukraine implement the necessary reforms in their path towards the European Union. This is where they belong.  

The Ukrainian people are undertaking tremendous efforts under very difficult circumstances, and the European Union should recognise this. This is the merit-based nature of the European Union enlargement policy: we should match their efforts and open the first negotiations cluster – the cluster on fundamentals – as soon as possible this year.  

Our European message to Ukraine is clear: Ukraine is part of our European family, we will stand with you, and we will bring you in the European Union, where you belong. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-266981  

Closing remarks  

President, Honourable Members,

It is encouraging to hear today loud voices in the European Parliament support to continue the European Union support to Ukraine, and your clear request for the European Union to do more. We all recognise that the European Union and its Member States have done a lot, but the needs remain huge.  

Our European assistance to Ukraine is an investment - we have heard this today - in the European’s future. Ukraine has to be able to successfully defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This not just about Ukraine: this is also about us, about our own security. 

We will continue providing financial and military assistance, with the goal of putting Ukraine in the strongest position ahead of any potential discussions to finally end Russia’s aggression and the suffering. Ukraine – this is also what we heard – and the European Union should be involved in the peace talks; and they will be. 

And we will continue advancing the accession process. All of Ukraine is undertaking tremendous efforts: we should not forget the circumstances under which the politicians, civil servants and society as a whole are working –in the same direction, to become a part of the European Union.  

Our objective is to make substantial progress towards accession during this mandate. I am looking forward to the opening of negotiations on clusters, starting with the fundamentals, when possible, during the Polish presidency in the first half of the year. 

The European Commission will continue supporting Ukraine in this process. And when we speak about helping Ukraine, we should not forget when the conflict started. It started when Ukraine decided to go the European way, the way of democracy, the way of European values.  

Again, I will quote Simone Veil. She said, in 1979, that all the Member States are confronted with three big challenges: the challenge of peace, the challenge of freedom, and the challenge of prosperity. We could add today the challenge of security.  

And she also added: those challenges can only be met through the European dimension. And I am reassured to know that we can count on the support of the vast majority in this House for the future, especially also after the war, when we will do the reconstruction.  

Thank you! 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-266983