Sibikha at the EU Council meeting: Now is the time to arm ourselves as quickly as possible

This statement was made in a press release from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry following Sybiga’s virtual participation in the meeting of EU foreign ministers, Ukrinform reports.

The Minister supported a number of key initiatives aimed at strengthening the defense capability of the ERA, emphasizing that Ukraine will play a central role in these activities.

“I commend the EU's leadership. We already feel the new strength of Era. Now we need the same speed in decision-making in Europe,” Sibiha said.

He also noted the importance of the ReArm Eure initiative, the historic programme of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen; the new proposal of the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to increase military support for Ukraine; and the Coalition of the Willing, an initiative led by France and the UK.

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Sibiha also called for active assistance from the new German leadership.

“Now is the time to arm ourselves – to strengthen the defense capabilities of Ukraine and the ERA as quickly and effectively as possible. A well-armed Ukraine and the ERA are capable of preventing Russia from starting another major war,” the minister added.

Sibikha called on Eurean partners to maximise their efforts to increase military assistance to Ukraine, close critical gaps, invest in Ukraine’s defence industry and expand Eurean’s defence funding. In the long term, he noted, this would benefit all of Eure.

He also called for the acceleration of all significant EU processes, in particular, the removal of barriers to the implementation of Cluster 1: “Basics” of the process of Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

“Ukraine’s accession to the EU and the path to peace are directly linked,” he stressed.

Sibikha expressed gratitude to the EU for its consistent sanctions policy, noting Ukraine's appreciation for the recent decision to extend individual sanctions.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining and increasing sanctions pressure on Moscow, proposing a new approach with smaller but more frequent sanctions packages targeting specific sectors such as the defense industry, banking, nuclear energy, etc.

He also called for stricter enforcement of energy sanctions and reaffirmed the existence of clear legal grounds for the immediate use of frozen Russian assets in support of Ukraine.

Sibiha expressed deep gratitude to the EU for its comprehensive support and stressed the need to use the newfound strength of the Era to maintain peace.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine