Foreign Affairs Council: Press conference by High Representative Kaja Kallas (on Ukraine)
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Good afternoon, everybody.
We just concluded the Foreign Affairs Council for November, which was intense as usual. So, let me first go through a few points.
First, the discussion was on Ukraine.
The European Union has always supported a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. Today, we discussed, of course, the latest developments, and Minister Sybiha briefed us on Ukraine's perspective. Our position has not changed. For any peace plan to succeed, it has to be supported by Ukraine, and it has to be supported by Europe. If Russia really wanted peace, they would have accepted the unconditional ceasefire offer already in March.
The brutal reality is that twenty-six Ukrainian civilians were killed in Russian attacks yesterday. Russia has repeatedly paid lip service for peace talks, and previous talks fell apart because Russia never made any real commitments. The pressure must be on the aggressor, not on the victim. Rewarding aggression will only invite more of it.
The EU has a very clear two-point plan: first, weaken Russia; second, support Ukraine.
Today, the Head of the European Intelligence Centre and the EU Sanctions Envoy briefed on the impact of sanctions. The data is very clear: the export of Russian crude oil is the lowest it has been in months. Russian tax revenues from oil are the lowest since the war started. Sanctions are hitting Russia hard, and more are coming.
Going after Russia's shadow fleet remains a priority, and we had very intensive discussions, about what we can do more. The EU has already sanctioned over 550 ships, and we have conducted extensive diplomatic talks with flag states that register vessels. Now, we aim to have pre-boarding agreements with these states. This is a legal way for one party to board and search a vessel of another country. Slowing down the shadow fleet costs Russia revenues. This is why we will work on more sanctions on the shadow fleet, both vessels as well as enablers.
Many ministers also raised the financial support for Ukraine. The reparations loan is the most clear-cut way to sustain Ukraine's defence. It is also the way to show Russia that time is not on their side. Supporting Ukraine is a bargain compared to the cost of Russian victory.
Today, we also addressed the attacks on Poland's railway network. Russia's hybrid actions in Europe are increasingly brazen. Russia is committing state sponsored terrorism. There are many ways we can respond, including additional sanctions and tackling online recruitment of saboteurs.