Vilnius (Brussels Morning) – EU Council President Michel emphasizes supporting Ukraine and strengthening EU defence amidst Russia’s ongoing aggression, urging unity and decisive action.
The President of the European Council Charles Michel, who arrived in Lithuania, said that the main priority of the European Union (EU) remains backing Ukraine, as well as supporting the community’s economy and democratic principles.Â
“We are facing extremely big challenges, so I see 3 main operational priorities. Above all, we must build a strong and secure EU. We need to improve defence preparedness within the EU. We must defend Ukraine as long as necessary. We must mobilize all possible resources, as well as start membership negotiations with Ukraine“, said Ch. Michel.
European Council President Charles Michel is obvious about what will happen if Russia defeats the war in Ukraine. “A defeat for Ukraine cannot be an alternative. We all comprehend very well what the devastating effects would be for Europe and for the values we express. And for the world. That is why it is important to act,” he said a month ago.
As Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine nears its second anniversary, Michel stated that the EU must continue its actions to support Kyiv. And even more, he said so now that the problem in the United States is “difficult,” with Washington’s support for Ukraine wavering. “There is no alternative but to persist in supporting Ukraine. There is one Plan A — and only a Plan A — and that is support for Ukraine,” he stated.
“Support for Ukraine is an investment in stability and peace,” he continued. “We must combat for Ukraine, Europe, the US and the rest of the world. If not, we are transmitting a message to the rest of the world that it is alright for another country — even one that is on the U.N. Security Council and that has nuclear weapons — to invade another.”
“We need to stand up, and we must explain again and again what’s at stake. We cannot permit ourselves to fall into exhaustion or give up,” warned Michel, who said that Russia could manipulate and feed this seed of fatigue to sabotage the European spirit and the EU scheme ahead of the European Parliament elections in June.
The war that has shocked the European continent and the rest of the world will enter its third year. It is one of the most difficult junctures for Ukraine: the counteroffensive has fallen, and the situation on the fighting fronts is extremely complicated due to its absence of ammunition, material and troop rotation.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin — who has seized the opportunity to increase weapons production — is designing a new spring offensive at different points on the front line, according to Western intelligence sources. The leader of the Kremlin feels emboldened after gaining some progress (albeit timid) on the battlefield and because he has planted another of his enemies, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who passed away in a gloomy maximum security prison in the Arctic where he was serving a 19-year prison penalty for a case that the EU considers political persecution. Michel condemned the Kremlin for Navalny’s death, claiming it “is a brutal reminder of the nature of the regime.”
“The conclusions we have made, the beginning of accession negotiations with Ukraine, the €50 billion financial aid package, are a call to our allies, especially the US, to do what is necessary to sustain Ukraine with military and economic assistance. It is the utmost priority. And I truly hope that the US understands that helping Ukraine is also a formula against authoritarian regimes across the world that are attempting to put into question a rules-based order.” “We are operating to try to use frozen Russian assets, in whole or in part, to support Ukraine rebuild. It is a question of justice, of the rule of law, of commitment and accountability, and I am sure that in the coming weeks, we will be capable of moving forward,” said Michel.Â
