Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It has been ten years since Russia began its aggression against Ukraine.
Ukrainians had bravely demanded justice, democracy, and a European future.
Russia responded with the illegal occupation of the peninsula.
It's clear:
Crimea and Sevastopol are Ukraine.
The European Union will never tire to support the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Only where borders count there is security and peace for people.
Over these ten years, Crimea has been a testing ground for the brutal tactics Russia now uses across occupied Ukraine.
The tragic echoes of the Soviet-era deportation of Crimean Tatars reverberate today.
The disappearances, the torture, the attempted deletion of Tatar culture, and the persecution of journalists and human rights defenders.
Europe stands with Ukraine in documenting each and every one of these crimes.
Together we will ensure that justice will be served.
For peace without justice is no peace at all.
We Europeans want peace as much as Ukrainians do.
But a peace that is fair and lasting.
True peace is one that ensures war cannot return.
A peace that allows people to focus on their future.
This is why Ukraine's integration into the European Union is at the heart of our efforts.
Formal accession negotiations were launched this summer in a historic step.
Ukraine is joining a large family that will always have your back.
Like we have had since day one of the full-scale aggression.
We have provided Ukraine with over 118 billion euros in support so far.
And with funding from the Ukraine Facility secured until 2027, there is much more to come.
President Putin's attempts to crush Ukraine's spirit have failed.
Instead, Ukraine stands strong.
Our peoples have never been closer.
Together, we will endure and prevail, united as we are in our commitment to a free and democratic Ukraine.
