The sixth sanctions package must be agreed, it must be effective, including oil. Russia must feel the price for what it is doing against Ukraine and against the whole of Europe. And Europe to finally become independent, like Ukraine, from russian energy weapons, at least from its oil part.
This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in his address to the European Council.
He noted that on April 8, the 44th day of the war, the EU's fifth sanctions package was imposed. 52 days have passed, and during this time russia has killed another 74 children and destroyed 960 educational institutions.
"According to the information for the past day, there were almost 1600 russian missile strikes on Ukraine. Russia has used more than 2,400, almost 2,500 different missiles against us, against the civilian population. And by then, April 8, there were less than a thousand strikes and they used about a thousand missiles. This is the progress of their aggression," Zelensky said.
He explained that he did not blame Europe for the war, only the russian state was to blame for everything that was happening. But the President of Ukraine expressed confidence that it was obvious to each of the European leaders that there should be progress in sanctions for this aggression.
“Why can russia still earn almost a billion euros a day by selling energy? Why are terrorist banks still working with Europe and the global financial system? Serious questions. And why are russian propaganda channels still active in the European Union? This is an information weapon of the russian Federation. Why are russian civil servants who support the war and judges who openly support repression still not sanctioned? ” - such questions were asked by the President of Ukraine before the European Council.
Zelensky noted that the consequences of russia's aggression have gone beyond our continent, and will inevitably return from there with even greater problems for the whole of Europe. Large-scale famine in Africa and Asia will mean that southern and south-eastern Europe is facing a new large-scale migration crisis.
"And when you hear blackmail from moscow with food, please know that this is their deliberate blow, in fact, to your societies. To ensure this blow, russia simply uses the peoples of Africa and Asia as hostages, deliberately pushing them to starvation. That people from there fled to you en masse. Are you ready for this? I don't think so," Zelensky said.
The President reminded that last year russia created conditions for record gas prices to rise. By investing in instability, russia is making all energy prices so high that Europeans are protesting, not against the aggressor and their aggression, but against their own states.
Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that the world must immediately find a solution that will prevent the food crisis from unfolding. He thanked for the efforts to create green corridors for agricultural exports from Ukraine. But a reliable guarantee of food security is impossible without ending russia's war against Ukraine on our land. There can be no peaceful trade, no confident agricultural production, if russia retains the ability to intercept ships with Ukrainian agricultural products, or strike at our cities, ports, elevators and other infrastructure.
“Mr. President Michel! You were in Odesa recently and were forced into a shelter due to a missile attack. Mr. President has felt for himself what I am talking about now. And if this was felt even at this level, then why is russia still not recognized as a terrorist state, a state sponsor of terrorism? ” - the President of Ukraine asked the President of the European Council Charles Michel, and added that the European House has never been and will never be completed without Ukraine, there will never be a full-fledged European power without Ukraine. The fact that Ukraine remained a fragment of Europe, beyond the borders of European states, contributed to the development of an aggressive appetite in Russia to capture its neighbours.
Volodymyr Zelensky noted that only the enlargement and strengthening of European unity can prevent the recurrence of what Europe experienced on February 24, in 2014, and even in 1968 or 1956.
He stressed that at the strategic level, the status of a candidate for membership of the European Union for Ukraine should be approved in June. Ukraine responded to the questionnaire on EU candidacy on April 8 at an unprecedented rate, and looks forward to the same reaction from Europe.
Ukraine rejects any attempt to find an alternative that no one needs, or to find something else for our state. Ukraine needs to be like Europe, and it wants candidate status.
"We have met all the necessary criteria for this status. And those individual, some states that are still not sure about us, and you know it well, in fact, I am sure they will change their minds. And they will show our united strength. The strength of our peoples, who support our membership of the European Union by an unprecedented majority. The strength of your peoples, the strength of your states and a united Europe," Volodymyr Zelensky assured.
The President added that we need a common customs space, a common payment space, and a common roaming space so that our migrants, more than 5 million of them, do not feel discriminated. And, of course, further armed and financial support for Ukraine is absolutely necessary. It is necessary to find and freeze, and then confiscate all russian assets and send them to rebuild and compensate for the damage caused by the war.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that talks with many about the reconstruction of Ukraine have already begun, a large-scale recovery plan is being created, and a global project to support United24 has been activated.
"Today, a 9-year-old girl died as a result of the Russian shelling of the Kherson region of Ukraine. Two more children were injured: a 7-month-old baby and a 5-year-old girl. No normal person can just put up with it. With such crimes. Daily. These are the deliberate killings by the russian military of our civilians, our children. They know exactly who they are shooting at,” Volodymyr Zelensky told the audience, adding that he counts on their principledness and activity to ensure that every russian soldier who killed or tortured our people and every commander who gave such orders or indulged in this - appeared before the court. Europe can definitely do that.
It was earlier reported that a two-day special summit of European Union leaders with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will be held in Brussels, he will address the EU leaders via video link.