Addressing the Sixth International Crimea Platform Summit in New York, the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said that until just and lasting peace is secured, Europe will stand with Ukraine, with political, economic, humanitarian, military support.
Let me begin with a simple fact: Force may give you possession. But it can never give you title. What territory Russia has temporarily seized remains Ukrainian by law. No illegal referendum, no imposed passport and no sham election can change that. Let me state another simple fact: the quickest way to end this war, to find a path to peace and a route to justice and dignity is for Russia to return to its internationally recognised borders. This was true in 2014; it was true in 2022, and it remains true today. We have never doubted Ukrainians’ courage and resilience and we know that nearly four million Ukrainians live under occupation. They face repression, arbitrary detention, torture, disappearances and violence. Children are deported, re-educated and militarised. Civilian detainees and prisoners of war are held in unacceptable conditions, while Crimean Tatars continue to face systematic violations and persecution. All this to say that the human dimension must remain at the heart of our work. That is why I am especially honoured that Mustafa Dzhemilev is with us today. Your life is a reminder that repression can endure for years, but it can never turn a wrong into a right. The European Union has stood with Ukraine since the start of Russia’s aggression. And when Russia escalated that aggression into a full-scale invasion in 2022, Europe responded with even greater resolve. And our commitment goes far beyond words. The European Union remains one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters – providing political, financial, economic, humanitarian, diplomatic and military assistance. Part of that means keeping up the pressure on Russia. The European Union has now adopted 21 packages of sanctions, including asset freezes, travel bans, trade restrictions and measures targeting Russia’s war machine. And you can rest assured that the European Parliament will continue to push to tighten restrictions, prevent circumvention and close loopholes. To conclude, I want to speak directly to anyone who may still question why Europe continues to stand with Ukraine. The European Union was built for peace. But as millions of Europeans who spent decades behind the Iron Curtain know, peace without freedom, dignity and justice is no real peace at all. So we will keep pushing for that real peace. And we will keep insisting on nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Dear President Zelenskyy, dear Volodymyr, we were with Ukraine, we are with Ukraine and we will be with Ukraine. Thank you.
You can read the President's speech in Ukrainian here.