President of the European Council Antonio Costa is convinced that it is up to Ukrainians to determine what conditions will be created for the establishment of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

He said this at the annual conference of EU ambassadors in Brussels on Tuesday. “The war in Ukraine is not just a war on European soil. It is a war that threatens the fundamentals of the entire international community. Rewarding the aggressor, rewarding the violation of territorial integrity, is a threat to everyone. And so, our stance is clear, too. The European Union will support Ukraine for as long as necessary, and whatever it takes. We will strengthen Ukraine’s position under any circumstances. For a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. A peace chosen by Ukraine and Ukrainians. This is the message we convey to President Zelenskyy at every occasion. And we continue to do so,” Costa stressed.

The President of the European Council also touched upon the EU's relations with the United States. “The U.S. is our friend, our ally and our partner. Problems and differences of views can come up, also between friends. When they do, we need to address them, to talk and to find solutions,” he noted.

At the same time Costa stated that the European Union and the United States together have been “pillars of the rules-based order, respecting national sovereignty, territorial integrity, stability of borders and the UN Charter.” “The European Union will stand for this universal respect of international law and the rules-based order anywhere. In Ukraine, in the Middle East, in Africa and of course also in the Kingdom of Denmark. All the more – obviously – if the territorial integrity of a member state of the European Union is questioned. The message on this I got from all 27 Member States around the table at yesterday’s leaders retreat was loud and clear,” the President of the European Council said.

Costa also focused on the issue of EU enlargement, in which Ukraine, Moldova and six Western Balkan countries are candidates for membership. “Their future lies within the European Union. This proves the European Union is attractive and powerful. We now have a new momentum for enlargement, let’s create the necessary conditions, on all sides, to take advantage of it!” he stressed.

Another point of the speech of the President of the European Council was the issue of defense. “Despite disorder and complexity, we also have a clear way forward to renew the European Union as a project of peace. Today, the Europe of Defence needs to be an integral part of our peace project. To protect our democracies, our citizens, our borders. We need to assume greater responsibility for our own defence to guarantee a lasting peace in Europe. As Robert Schuman declared 75 years ago: ‘world peace cannot be safeguard without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.’ Yesterday’s informal leaders meeting was precisely about that: We are not discussing the ‘If’ anymore. We are discussing the ‘What and the How.’ What joint capabilities to develop most urgently, how to fund them, how to strengthen our most important partnerships,” Costa detailed.