Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal held a joint press conference with the EU High Representative for Foreign Relations and Security Policy Josep Borrell after the EU-Ukraine Association Council Meeting held in Brussels. Reminding that the EU is trying to get rid of its energy dependence on Russia, Shmigal said, “We can meet a significant amount of imports from Russia. Currently, we have 30 billion cubic meters of gas in our natural gas warehouses. We will offer some of this to our European partners.” said. There are 91.1 billion cubic meters of gas in Europe’s natural gas storages of approximately 113 billion cubic meters. EU countries use 400 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. Shmigal conveyed his thanks for the EU’s support to Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia, and stated that they have received 1 billion euros of the EU’s 9 billion euro financial aid, and that they expect to receive the second and third tranches as soon as possible. Asked whether Russia’s cut off the gas flow from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline has concerns about affecting support for Ukraine in Europe this winter, Shmigal said that this is a discourse that Russia wants to spread, adding: “Russia is currently against Europe. waging a hybrid war. It blackmails gas and oil. It creates a food and migration crisis. It wages disinformation and cyber-attack. Ukraine is war-weary, but leaving Ukraine alone against Russia is the first step for Russia to penetrate deeper into Europe. “The only salvation for Europe is to act in unity, with the G7 and Ukraine.” “This is not a war for food or bills. This is a war for European values and for democracy and freedom,” Shmigal said. he said.
Borrell is against the idea of ”Support Ukraine”
EU High Representative Borrell emphasized that their support to Ukraine will continue and said that they want peace, but that it cannot be a peace “at any cost”.
Borrell emphasized that the peace to be made can come with an agreement that respects the sovereign rights of Ukraine. Reminding that the idea that “the EU should cut off military aid and Ukraine should come to the table with Russia” at a conference held today in Czechia, the EU term president, with the participation of European parliamentarians, Borrell said: they have the right to express their opinions. My interlocutors are governments and foreign ministers. They represent EU member states. A week ago in Prague (at the EU Foreign Ministers Meeting) all governments had clear and concrete support for our position. Political parties with different ideas and parliaments in European countries may have members, but they are not representatives of member states.