Support for Ukraine main topic of summit in Granada - von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told this to journalists before the summit, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
This third European Political Community symbolises Europe’s determination to stand up for Ukraine.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 5, 2023
We are united around three principles:
Ukraine needs to prevail in this war.
We will determine the future security architecture of Europe.
And never accept the right of might. pic.twitter.com/OOXwAq7tza
"It is the third time that at the core of our discussion is our support for Ukraine and this symbolizes also the strong support that the European political community has for Ukraine," Von der Leyen said.
She welcomed the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the meeting and emphasized that the European leaders had sent a "strong message" to Russian President Vladimir Putin "from Dublin to Chisinau, that we do not tolerate aggression against a sovereign state."
Von der Leyen also added that the EU was working on an aid package for Ukraine until 2027.
"Here in the European Union we working on a package of EUR 50 billion for Ukraine for the years 2024 to the year 2027. This is very important because Ukraine needs predictability and reliability in the direct budget support," she said.
Another important issue of the summit will be energy and getting rid of energy dependence on Russia.
"We had a massive energy crisis due to the blackmail of Russia with fossil fuels. We've mastered this crisis. The prices have gone down drastically and, most importantly, our storage [facilities] are filled and we have created a joint platform to buy gas together. This is a big success," she said.
According to her, the EU got rid of its dependence on Russian fossil fuels by massively investing in renewable energy sources.
"Last year, for the very first time, the European Union was able to produce more electricity from renewables wind and sun than from gas," she said.
The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia will also be discussed at the meeting in Spain, von der Leyen added.
On October 5, Zelensky is visiting Spain where he will participate in the European Political Community summit and hold a number of bilateral meetings.
Some 50 leaders are taking part in the meeting of the European Political Community in Granada.
