Sybiha to EU ministers: there is need to speed up assistance to strengthen Ukraine's air defense
Kyiv • UNN
At the EU Council, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha emphasized the need to strengthen Ukraine's air defense and energy resilience. He called for a joint response to Russian attacks on ports and ships.
At the European Union Foreign Affairs Council, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha emphasized the need to speed up EU assistance to strengthen air defense, calling on European colleagues to increase support for Ukraine's energy stability ahead of winter, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, UNN reported.
Details
On October 14, Sybiha took part online in the EU Foreign Affairs Council at the invitation of EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister briefed his European colleagues on the situation on the battlefield and the priority military needs of Ukrainian defenders. He also spoke about Russia's constant shelling of Ukrainian cities and communities, critical civilian infrastructure and energy, and recent attacks on civilian vessels and port infrastructure.
"Recently, we have witnessed Russian attacks on our ports and civilian vessels. By such actions, the Russians are trying not only to weaken Ukraine's economy, especially on the eve of winter, but also to undermine global food security," the Minister said and called for a joint decisive response to such actions by Russia and the guarantee of freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Sybiha emphasized "the need to accelerate EU assistance to strengthen air defense and energy resilience in Ukraine ahead of winter, including the provision of additional air defense equipment and air shields, additional energy equipment, and investments in generation sources.
"We are grateful to the EU for its efforts to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine's energy system and meet our immediate energy needs. We are talking about both restoring and connecting additional sources and stabilizing the system. We appreciate the EU's readiness to implement a number of additional steps that will meet part of our energy needs this winter. We are also counting on the European Commission's leadership role in engaging more partners in providing energy support to Ukraine," the Minister emphasized.
