European Leaders Vow To Continue Supporting Ukraine

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Dec 19 (KUNA) -- European leaders reiterated on Thursday their strong commitment to providing political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support to Ukraine whilst continuing to tighten sanctions against Russia.
In a statement following their summit in Brussels, the European leaders noted that Russia "must not prevail," condemning what it described as Russia's illegal, aggressive war against Ukraine.
They emphasized that no initiative regarding Ukraine should be taken without involving Ukraine.
European leaders called for stepping up military support for Ukraine, "particularly in the areas of air defence systems, ammunition, and missiles, as well as providing training and equipment to Ukrainian forces."
The statement stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to support and develop Ukraine's defence industry and deepening cooperation with the European defence industry, calling for the acceleration of work to enhance "EU military assistance to support Ukraine."
The European Council welcomed the swift implementation of the G7 initiative worth 45 billion euros (USD 50 billion) to support Ukraine's military, budgetary needs, and current and future reconstruction efforts.
It emphasized that military support would be provided in full respect of the security and defense policies of the concerned member states.
European leaders strongly condemned what they described as the intense and deliberate "campaign Russia is waging against energy and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, aiming to turn the winter into a weapon."
They called for increased and expedited material support to help Ukraine maintain its electricity infrastructure.
They also welcomed the adoption of the fifteenth sanctions package against Russia and reiterated their call for the "full and effective implementation of sanctions and the adoption of further measures to combat sanctions evasion."
The statement expressed the EU's readiness to increase pressure on Russia by imposing additional sanctions, emphasizing that, according to EU law, Russian assets would remain frozen "until it stops its aggressive war against Ukraine and compensates for the damage caused by this war."
It also strongly condemned "third-party support that enables Russia to continue its aggressive war against Ukraine," referring in this context to the transfer of weapons and the deployment of North Korean military forces to Russia for use in the battlefield against Ukraine. (end)
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