The European Union must continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression for the sake of its own security, because Ukraine currently stands as Europe’s “first line of defense.”
This was stated today in Strasbourg by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, during a plenary session of the European Parliament dedicated to preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, a Ukrinform correspondent reports.
Kallas emphasized that when it comes to supporting Ukraine, “the European Union is doing its part here too, not least because Ukraine is Europe’s first line of defense… We have to do more for Ukraine, for our own security too.”
She quoted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who recently remarked: “If we don’t help Ukraine further, we should all start learning Russian.”
“We know that Russia responds to strength and nothing else. That is why we have just proposed an 18th sanctions package to pile on the pressure. Every sanction weakens Russia’s ability to fight this war. Do not be fooled. Thanks to EU sanctions, Russia has lost tens of billions of euros in oil revenues. Its sovereign wealth fund declined by 6 billion only last month. Sanctions work,” she said.
At the same time, Kallas reminded the audience that the EU remains the largest provider of aid to Ukraine, including over €50 billion in military assistance alone.
“The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield today, the stronger they will be around the negotiation table, when Russia finally is ready to talk,” she added.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union has been providing substantial political, economic, financial, military, and humanitarian support. The total EU assistance to Ukraine over the course of the war has already exceeded €150 billion.
The NATO summit in The Hague is scheduled for June 24–25, 2025. Alliance leaders will focus on three key issues: increasing defense spending, boosting defense industry capacity, and continuing support for Ukraine.
Photo: Philippe STIRNWEISS/ EP
Source: Ukraine Europe’s “first line of defense” against Russian aggression – Kaja Kallas
