By BRUSSELS. Dec 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Union reiterates its strong condemnation of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine and reaffirms its full support for Ukrainian independence and sovereignty.
This is specified in the conclusions of the European Council, which was held on Thursday in Brussels.
"The European Council reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. It reaffirms the Union’s full support Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, as well as for Ukraine’s inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression," the European Council said in the conclusions.
The document also notes that the European Union "remains committed to providing political and military support" to Ukraine, in particular through the European Peace Facility and the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine, and by stepping up the bilateral provision of support, in particular air defence capacities and demining assistance.
EU leaders said the ongoing Russian campaign of systematic missile strikes against Ukrainian citizens, civilian targets, energy infrastructure and other public services, to inflict "even more suffering on the Ukrainian people, is a crime for which there can be no impunity." "This must stop. The European Council calls on all international partners to make similar calls and exert their influence to end. The European Council also calls on Russia to immediately cease actions endangering the safety and security of civilian nuclear facilities and underlines the European Union’s full support for the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency."
In addition, the leaders said the European Union will urgently intensify the provision of humanitarian and civil protection assistance to Ukraine, including in kind, and assist in the restoration of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure to help Ukraine get through the winter. "In this regard, the European Council invites the European Investment Bank, in close cooperation with the Commission and the International Financial Institutions, to step up its support for Ukraine’s most urgent infrastructural needs. The European Council also invites the Commission to intensify coordination with European industry and international partners to provide a sustainable supply of priority equipment to Ukraine, such as mobile heating stations, power generators, power transformers, and high-voltage and lighting equipment," according to the conclusions.
The EU leaders also assured that "the European Union will also maintain its support for displaced persons, both within and outside Ukraine."
With regard to continued financial support to Ukraine, the leaders said "the European Union remains committed to providing, along with partners, financial relief to Ukraine, and supporting its resilience and long-term reconstruction." "In that context, the European Union has agreed to provide EUR 18 billion of assistance to Ukraine in 2023," the leaders said in the document.
In addition, the conclusions indicate that the European Council welcomes and encourages further efforts to ensure full accountability for war crimes and other serious crimes committed in the course of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including ways to ensure accountability for the crime of aggression.
Also, the European Council considered options for using the frozen assets to support the reconstruction of Ukraine and in order to redress the damage.
