Check against delivery! 

Good morning, 

We are going to discuss about Ukraine, once again.  

I will debrief the Foreign Affairs Council about the travel to Ukraine, together with the President of the Commission [Ursula von der Leyen]. We have witnessed what is happening there, the brutal aggression of the Russian troops against the civilian population. We came back really move after what we have seen. Really, you can go to Kyiv. Go to Kyiv as much as you can and witness.  

We have opened our Delegation there. We are going to discuss how we can support better the Ukrainian people and also how we can support the International Criminal Court [ICC]. I have just been meeting with the [ICC] Prosecutor, Mr [Karim] Khan. We will provide as much support as we can, through our mission, to the prosecutors, both the Ukrainian and the ICC prosecutors.  

We will also discuss about other issues. The Global Gateway, for example. How we can better partner around the world with our like-minded countries and how we can support them in order to face the economic crisis, which is coming. Because everybody will have to face the consequences of this war - not of the sanctions, but of the war - in terms of price increase on energy and food. 

This is more or less what we are going to do today. 

 

Q&A 

Q. When is the time for an embargo on Russian oil and what do you expect from today’s meeting? 

Sanctions are always on the table. Discussing about Ukraine means certainly to discuss about the effectiveness of our sanctions. The ones that have already been decided and certainly the Ministers will discuss about what are the next steps.  

Q. Today Moldova and Georgia will receive a questionnaire from the EU. How important this step is from your side and what will be the next? 

The next will be the normal procedure, as we did with Ukraine. The Commission will send a questionnaire. President [Ursula] von der Leyen went to Kyiv personally to give it to President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy. The same thing will happen with these two other states that have presented their candidacy [Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi will hand over the two questionnaires].

Q. You said that you expect a big battle on the East? 

Yes. I am afraid that the Russian troops are massing on the East to launch an attack on the Donbass. We are very much aware of that. I am afraid that in the next days the war will increase on the Donbass.

 

Q. What expectations do you have for the visit of the Austrian Chancellor [Karl Nehammer] to Moscow? 

Let us see.  

Q. Russians have criticised you for saying that the battle will be won on the battlefield. Do you still believe that this will be the case? 

Normally wars have been won or lost on the battlefields. Yes.  

Q. Do you support Moldova’s and Georgia’s European perspective? 

Yes, certainly we support the European perspective. 

Q. Are European countries ready to make political decisions towards these two associated countries? 

I have already told you that the normal procedure will be starting as soon as possible, as we did with Ukraine.  

Thank you.  

 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-223779