Luxembourg 14.10.2024 “We started our Foreign Affairs Council with the Ukranians Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, who debriefed us on the situation in the battlefield. The Minister commented some elements of the Victory Plan that President Zelensky will present to the next European Council. We discussed and commented on how to advance the Peace Formula” said the EU top diplomat Josep Borrel, while opening a press conference in Luxembourg, concluding the meeting of the EU Foreign affairs ministers.

“There is a strategic logic in strengthening Ukraine, politically and militarily, to force Putin to go to negotiations, although I have to confess it looks like a very distant prospect.

“We talked about the Peace Formula; we talked about military support – because we consider that peace cannot be confused with capitulation.

“During this year, we have seen a sharp increase of Ukrainian civilian casualties, as well as Russian attacks against energy and ports infrastructure and grain exports [vessels]. Just today, several foreign civilian ships were hit by ballistic missiles launched by Russia. So, the problem of exports of grain is coming back.

“Russia is attacking the ships that are [have been], until now, navigating freely through the corridors that were established from Odessa towards the end of the Black Sea.

“Unhappily, it seems that, once again, the export of grains is under [danger from] the military threat of Russia.

“We cannot allow Putin to endanger global food security or succeed in his effort to weaponise winter. I said it several times, he plans to put Ukraine into the dark and the cold and for that, he is attacking specifically the energy infrastructure. He failed last year on this purpose. He must fail again.

“We also heard [from] the [EU] Sanctions Envoy David O’Sullivan on the latest efforts against sanctions circumvention. Sanctions evasion keeps Russia’s war machine working.

“We see progress in tackling this circumvention of sanctions, but certainly much more is needed. We see too often Western-branded electronic elements continuing [to be used] in Russia’s weapons machinery. When you do the autopsy of the Russian weapons, you find Western-branded electronic components.

“We have to continue fighting against sanctions circumvention – and this starts at home. It is not only the countries where the circumvention takes place by re-exporting, it starts at home. We have to increase due diligence by companies exporting critical components to third countries.

“We need more sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet. The Russian capacity to export hydrocarbons also prolongs the war and the number of ships on this shadow fleet that allows Russia to continue exporting oil without being under the limits. The price gap is increasing. So, we ask for proposals in order to increase the sanctions against these ships.

“By the way, [recently] we adopted a new sanctions regime targeting Russian hybrid activities against the European Union. Today, the Council has adopted sanctions for deliveries of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia. I think it is seven persons and seven entities. This are the first sanctions [adopted] against Iran for providing ballistic missiles.

Ensuring the best possible capacities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is essential. Ukrainian armed forces are under big pressure along the frontline – a frontline which is longer than before the summer. We have to continue providing Ukrainian Armed Forces with more capacity, and increase our training mission [EUMAM]. We will extend the mandate of the EU Military Assistance Mission [to Ukraine] for the next two years. I hope we will find consensus to increase its mandate.

We also need to finally find consensus on my proposals to unblock the European Peace Facility (EPF)/Ukraine Assistance Fund. We are almost there. I promised you that we will look and find a way – I cannot say that there is 100% [done] but almost. I am sure that we will reach a full agreement – all Member States – on my last proposal.

I also committed to Minister Sybiha that I will travel to Ukraine before the end of my mandate, but I do not want to do it before having an agreement to deblock the EPF money for Ukraine. Well, in fact, it is no longer for Ukraine; it is for the Member States who have already provided military support to Ukraine, and they are waiting to be reimbursed”.