The European Union supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and does not recognise pseudo-referendums in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia.
This was stated at a briefing by European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper when asked whether the EU is ready to discuss the status of any region of Ukraine in future peace talks, Suspilne reports.
‘With regard to the discussion on peace talks, our position is very clear, and I would like to reiterate two main points. Firstly, the US position on peace is that it is Ukraine that should determine the actual conditions, and secondly, our position is that nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,’ she said.
Hipper noted that Russia's continuous strikes on Ukrainian territory show that Russia cannot be trusted.
‘We saw attacks over the weekend, including a strike in Kyiv where three people were killed, including a five-year-old child. So, this shows that Russia still has to demonstrate its true political will to end its illegal and unprovoked aggression,’ she stressed.
The spokesperson stressed that the EU supports Ukraine and provides it with military, financial and humanitarian assistance, has imposed 16 sanctions packages against Russia and is preparing the 17th, and has adopted a military support plan.
Regarding Ukraine's possible territorial concessions and recognition of the pseudo-referendums in the TOT, Hipper said that the EU ‘unwaveringly’ supports Ukraine's territorial integrity.
‘We have already discussed this issue, but let me also remind you of the European Council's conclusion of 21 March, where the Council also reiterates its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the last point about these referendums, which were completely fraudulent and at gunpoint,’ Hipper added.
What preceded it
US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said in an interview with US blogger Tucker Carlson that the key problem in resolving the war waged by Russia against Ukraine is the issue of the temporarily occupied territories. He noted that they are ‘Russian-speaking’ and that ‘referendums were held there, where the majority of people voted in favour of being under Russian rule’.