Since the July summit of the European Political Community (EPC), there has been a significant escalation of the war on the part of Russia - the involvement of North Korean troops. This was stated by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during his speech at the fifth ENC summit in Budapest.
The Head of State emphasized that the concept of "peace through strength" has repeatedly proven its realism and effectiveness, and now it is needed again.
The President thanked everyone present in the hall for their support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, as well as for defending our country's right to use funds from Russian assets to protect against Russian aggression.
«"We are not defending ourselves from Russian words, but from Russian attacks. That is why we need sufficient weapons, not support in negotiations. Hugging Putin will not help. Some leaders have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse. He only thinks about wars and will not change. Only pressure can restrain him," he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the leaders of the countries to push Russia towards a just peace, find a mechanism to ensure that Russian assets start working for Ukraine as soon as possible, and limit the aggressor state's ability to profit from oil sales and its ability to circumvent sanctions.
«"The bill for this war should be paid by the Russians, not Ukraine. So that Russia can no longer make its false claims to everyone around it - from the Baltics to the Balkans. Any country, any leader who respects international law and sits at this table must understand that predators always demand more and more prey," the President emphasized.
The fifth summit of the European Political Community, which was founded in 2022 after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, is being held in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday. The first summit was held in October 2022 in the Czech Republic, the second in June last year in Moldova, the third in October in Spain, and the fourth in July this year in the United Kingdom.