Preparatory European Council meeting focused on Ukraine, security and defense
President of the Republic of Lithuania
June 27, 2023
President Gitanas Nausėda participated remotely on Tuesday in a preparatory European Council meeting with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
The video conference was held ahead of the European Council meeting scheduled for June 29-30 in Brussels and focused on support for Ukraine, defense and security, and migration.
The President underlined the importance of reaching an agreement at the EU level on defense and security priorities in the run-up to the NATO Summit in Vilnius. According to Gitanas Nausėda, it is necessary to increase EU defense capabilities and expand EU-NATO cooperation. The President also stressed the importance of military mobility and urged his EU colleagues to give greater emphasis to this issue.
On support for Ukraine, the President said that European financial and military assistance is critically important at this time. According to Gitanas Nausėda, it is essential to project further assistance to Ukraine via the European Peace Facility and to agree on a long-term support plan that will enable Ukraine to continue fighting against the aggressor Russia. The President pointed out that Ukraine's Euro-integration needs to move forward and, depending on its progress in delivering reforms, accession negotiations should start this year.
"Even in wartime, Ukraine is making efforts to reform. They have already achieved considerable progress on the path to Euro-integration. Ukraine is Europe, and we need to provide it with all the necessary support and take all the necessary decisions to start negotiations by the end of this year," the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda also stressed that at their next meeting European leaders must agree on further tightening the sanctions policy against Russia and launching the 12th package of sanctions.
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