Sanctions must act as long as aggression and occupation continue - the presidential speech at a meeting of leaders in support of Ukraine

Their position is simple - to continue the war, to continue attacking and delaying diplomacy. There are now US suggestions on the table, including the complete and unconditional ceasefire. We agreed to it. But, of course, Russia refused and put forward a bunch of absurd conditions that no one asked. The same with the idea of ​​ceasefire in the Black Sea - Russia tries to impose on our partners, but these conditions are unrealistic.

Removal of sanctions from Russia would now become a catastrophe for diplomacy. Sanctions are one of the few real tools that are in the world to persuade Russia to negotiate. What else is except for sanctions? If the sanctions are weakened and Russia will violate the agreement, the process of repayment of sanctions will be incredibly slow and complicated. And by that time, many will simply stop believing that sanctions are really working.

Russia is too often violating its promises - we cannot take steps towards them until they really change. The sanctions must be applied as long as aggression and occupation continue. I ask you all not to lose their determination and work with other partners to maintain pressure on Russia. At the same time, we need constant support for our defense and stability.

That is why all specific decisions to support Ukraine are so important-at the state level, such as your state support packages, and through joint defense and financial initiatives, especially at the EU level. I ask you to continue to maintain these efforts under our common interests. Every day in Ukraine - these are Russian bombs, drones, constant missile threats. The situation on the front line is still very difficult. Stabilization on the front is a reliable basis for diplomacy.

We have managed to stabilize the situation in Donetsk region, and we continue operations in the Russian Kursk region to protect our eastern areas. According to our intelligence, Russia is preparing for new offensives in Sumy, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya region. They tighten negotiations and try to involve the US in endless, meaningless discussions about fake "conditions" to win time and then try to seize even more land. Putin wants to negotiate the territory from a stronger position.

He only thinks of war. So, our work - all of us is a defense in the widest sense of the word. That is, the continuation of military assistance, but in addition, we need investments, more in common projects, more joint production, more localization, all that is aimed at scaling and development of our defense production - from shells to drones and missiles. Europe needs everything possible to protect its own.

Let's look at today what defense areas in terms of support and production are the most useful. It is 5 billion euros for artillery shells for our defense this year. And this funding needs to be found now. Also - air defense and rocket systems. Next is our internal production. There are things that you can produce in your countries, and there is what we can localize in Ukraine. Our defense industry in Ukraine is underfunding by about 20 billion euros.

We believe that this can be closed at the expense of Russian assets. And this must be done. The second point. We need clear operational solutions and a joint vision of the future security system. It is obvious that the power and number of the Ukrainian army will always remain a key guarantee of our security. Therefore, we have to build everything around this: our armed forces, their equipment, technology, efficiency are the basis.

And in addition, we need to determine how the forces of our partners on Ukrainian earth, in the sky and at sea will work. Our coalition of willing and capable partners is already working in both political and military. I am grateful to France, the United Kingdom and everyone involved in the sincere desire to help us in building long -term security.

And now, during this meeting, during future military negotiations and in all our discussions here, in Europe, and with other partners, including the US, we have to answer some very specific questions.

Which countries will be attracted to earth, in the sky and at sea in Ukraine? Where do these forces be placed? What will be the number and structure of these forces? What will be their response procedures in the event of a threat? And when our coalition actually launches forces in Ukraine - when the truce begins or when the war is over and the settlement is reached? We need one clear plan - a plan that we will all agree and which we will start putting into life - based on those options and plans that have already been discussed with you and are available to you.