A ceasefire in Ukraine will not be achieved solely through diplomatic means. Moreover, for sustainable peace, Ukraine must be provided with security guarantees, Europe must expand sanctions against the Russian Federation and take control of frozen Russian assets. This was stated by the head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak in a column for The Guardian, reports UNN.
Now, as I am in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a ceasefire in the three-year war that the Russian Federation is waging against my country seems closer than ever. Recent negotiations between Ukraine and its partners have generated great hope that the Ukrainian people will soon return to peaceful life.
The head of the President's Office pointed out that "a ceasefire in Ukraine will not be achieved solely through diplomatic gestures". For peace - when it comes - to be durable, a number of conditions must be met in advance. This includes providing political and financial pressure on Russia.
First, Ukraine must be provided with security guarantees that will add credibility to the future ceasefire agreement. Second, Europe must take decisive action to strengthen and expand sanctions against Russia. And third, Europe must take control of frozen Russian assets to ensure further and more active support for Ukraine.
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According to him, the decision of Europe to jointly borrow up to 150 billion euros for the defense expenditures of member states is critically important. This, combined with potential 20 billion euros for Ukraine's defense, will be a significant contribution to creating a reliable defense architecture for all of Europe, noted Yermak.
Reliable deterrence, Yermak believes, will help ensure that any ceasefire has the best chance of becoming a lasting peace. "Europe cannot allow a ceasefire that would enable Russia to rearm, restore its forces, and return for new Ukrainian lands and resources," emphasized the head of the President's Office.
Yermak also pointed out that Ukraine is grateful for the EU's decision to provide financial support of 30.6 billion euros this year. However, one of the most powerful tools in Europe's arsenal is the 300 billion euros of frozen Russian assets held in Western financial institutions, Yermak noted.
"These funds must remain under embargo, and the profits from them should be used to support Ukraine's financial recovery. Allowing Russia to reclaim these funds after its aggressive war would lead to catastrophic consequences," believes the head of the President's Office.