Ukraine is part of our European family - statement of EU leaders
The future of Ukraine and its citizens lies in the European Union, according to a joint statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Council President Antonio Costa.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
"Ukraine is part of our European family. Ukrainians have expressed a desire to have a future in the European Union. We, in turn, recognized this by granting the country candidate status and launching accession negotiations. Ukraine has made significant progress in implementing reforms related to its accession to the EU, and it has done so under the most difficult circumstances. We are already integrating Ukraine into the EU's internal market," the statement on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine reads.
The European leaders emphasized that Russia and its leadership bear full and sole responsibility for this war and for the crimes committed against the people of Ukraine.
"We continue to call for accountability for all war crimes and crimes against humanity that have been committed. We welcome the recent steps towards the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine," the statement reads.
They also emphasized that they are ready to increase pressure on Russia to limit its ability to wage war.
"We are already using the excess profits from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's defense industry and restore the energy sector. Today, on February 24, we adopted the 16th package of sanctions to further increase collective pressure on Russia to end its war of aggression," the statement reads.
"In a challenging international and geopolitical environment, we reiterate the importance of maintaining transatlantic and global solidarity with Ukraine. We insist on the need for continued focus on the part of the international community to support Ukraine in achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the Ukrainian peace formula. We stand firmly with Ukraine and reaffirm that peace, security and justice will prevail," the European leaders summarized.
