The President: We must decide as soon as possible on the use of frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine

On Thursday, President Gitanas Nausėda, attending the European Council meeting in Brussels, expressed strong support for continued EU assistance to Ukraine and for increasing pressure on Russia.

According to the President, Russia has consistently shown that it is unwilling to end its war of aggression against Ukraine, continuing to bomb cities, kill civilians, and make unreasonable demands.

"There is only one way to stop Russia - by ensuring peace through strength," said the President at the European Council meeting, following the leaders' exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. President Nausėda stressed the need to further strengthen Ukraine's position both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table through sustained military and financial support, as well as credible security guarantees.

The President called on EU leaders to decide as soon as possible on the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's reconstruction and urged the European Commission to prepare specific legal proposals for a "Reparations Loan."

The President also voiced support for an EU-level condemnation of Russia's intensified attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure, including its attempts to disrupt the restoration of electricity supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Speaking about the negotiations on Ukraine's and Moldova's EU membership, President Nausėda emphasized the need to carry out as much practical work as possible before formal decisions are taken, noting that these should be adopted jointly by all EU Member States.

The President called for increased pressure on Russia. Welcoming the adoption of the 19th package of sanctions, he called for preparations for the next one, stressing the importance of combating sanctions circumvention, introducing new sectoral import tariffs, and finally halting the import of Russian energy resources.

As is customary, at the start of the European Council meeting, EU leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky and heard a report from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. The day before the summit, on the evening of October 22, EU leaders also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.