EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg: Ukrainian PM calls for boosting Ukraine’s air defenses

This was reported on the website of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Russian strikes on Sumy and Kryvyi Rih

“Horrific Russian strikes on Kryvyi Rih and Sumy show that Putin seeks to prolong the war, not pursue peace, and call for decisive European action to strengthen both Ukraine’s and Europe’s capabilities, increase pressure on the aggressor, and accelerate Ukraine’s integration into the EU,” the Ukrainian diplomat stressed while joining the meeting online.

He noted that the Russian attacks are an assault “on our shared principles and on the values of modern Europe,” especially during major religious holidays.

Additional air defense systems for Ukraine

Sybiha expressed gratitude to European colleagues for their solidarity with Ukraine and urged additional support for cities affected by attacks. He emphasized the need to increase military aid to Ukraine, particularly in air defense, by providing additional systems and missiles.

"I urge your governments and municipalities to consider offering further support for Sumy and Kryvyi Rih, for the people in these cities. All of Ukraine will be grateful for this," Sybiha stressed.

Sanctions pressure on Russia

Additionally, the minister mentioned the importance of the ReArm Europe program initiated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the need to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. Sybiha called for a complete embargo on Russian energy imports, sanctions against the shadow fleet, full use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction, and further restrictions in the banking sector, metallurgy, nuclear energy, IT, and other industries.

"Putin will move deeper into Europe and closer to your homes if he is not stopped in Ukraine. That’s the reality. And we do not want your countries to ever see cluster ballistic missile strikes on residential areas or playgrounds. This is why action is needed now to achieve peace, to strengthen Ukraine, and to increase pressure on Moscow," the minister stated.

Peace efforts and European integration

According to Sybiha, Ukraine is ready to open clusters for EU accession talks as soon as possible, as European integration is a key factor for regional stability.

Moreover, he emphasized that Ukraine remains committed to peace efforts and has taken concrete steps in this direction, including agreeing unconditionally to the full ceasefire proposed by the U.S. In contrast, Russia rejected this proposal and intensified terror against civilians.

EU aid to Ukraine

Before the meeting began, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, urged the member states of the bloc to provide Ukraine with everything necessary to defend against Russian aggression, as reported by Ukrinform.

She emphasized that each member state was providing Ukraine with what it could, and the message was very clear – more needed to be done to enable Ukraine to defend itself, and civilian deaths had to be prevented. She stressed that maximum pressure had to be exerted on Russia to bring the war to an end, noting that Russia appeared to want the war to continue, and therefore, to stop the killings, such pressure was necessary.

She also mentioned that one of the topics of that day's discussion would be the recent Russian attacks on Ukraine, which had targeted the civilian population.

She pointed out that it had been a month since Ukraine had agreed to an unconditional ceasefire, but there had been no similar response from Russia. It was evident, she said, that Ukraine needed more support. She expressed satisfaction that two-thirds of the resources for her ammunition supply initiative had already been secured. According to her, European countries had committed to allocating 23 billion euros this year, which was more than the previous year, and pressure continued to be placed on Russia to end the war.

What else will be discussed

Other topics that European ministers will discuss, not related to Ukraine, include the security situation in the Western Balkans region and the European integration processes of countries in this region.

Specifically, diplomats will discuss developments in the Middle East, including issues related to lifting sanctions on Syria and providing humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza.

The meeting will also address matters related to the development of cooperation between the EU and African countries.

• On April 12, the European Union finance ministers began negotiations on the creation of a joint defense fund, which will be responsible for the procurement and storage of military equipment and will charge EU members for its use, as a way to increase defense spending without burdening national budgets with additional debt.