EU council president Charles Michel has issued a strongly worded statement after Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of four Ukrainian provinces.
It reads, “President Putin has decided on Russia’s illegal annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. This annexation follows sham referenda and constitutes a dangerous and irresponsible escalation. It is designed as a step to intensify the nuclear threat against the rest of the world.”
“The European Union unequivocally rejects and condemns these illegal annexations. It will never recognise them, just as it did not recognise the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Once again, the Kremlin is trampling on the UN Charter and the international order.”
“To the Ukrainian people, I want to say this: the European Union is and will remain resolutely on your side. You are defending the territorial integrity of your country, you are defending the future of your children. And you are defending our common universal values of freedom and dignity.”
He says, “I also want to send a message to the citizens of the European Union. Ukraine and Ukrainians are under attack, and this attack is also an aggression against our fundamental freedoms and democratic principles. Russia is firing missiles at Ukrainians and Russia has launched an “energy missile” at Europe, targeting the heart of our economic and social system.”
“The damage is severe. Energy is expensive. Every household in Europe is affected by soaring energy bills and supermarket receipts. And this will have a lasting impact on all of us.”
“That is why a new Energy Union must be developed now, with a real common strategy. Because there is no alternative, if we want to guarantee security of supply, affordable prices, and the climate transition. Today, all of us, we must understand that we have entered a new world, where many of our points of reference have been turned upside down. We must face this situation with clarity.”
“Russia has decided on a massive mobilisation to increase its war effort tenfold. We Europeans must also mobilise. Not for war, but rather to preserve peace, to protect our security and to guarantee the future of our children. Citizens, companies, political and social leaders: all of us, everyone has a responsibility to assume, a role to play.”
Michel ends, “We are strong. We will stick together. The European Union is taking action. The European Union protects and does so with all the necessary means. We will mobilise together.”
