Thank you for hosting us here in Vilnius.
Dear Presidents, what a pleasure to be here with you. Today, history is made. We connect the Baltic states to our continental European electricity grid. Electricity lines with Russia and Belarus are being dismantled. These chains of power lines linking you to hostile neighbours will be a thing of the past. This is freedom: freedom from threats; freedom from blackmail. Long before the Russian tanks crossed into Ukraine, you were warning us that the cheap gas bought from Russia has a hidden cost, the cost of dependence. Now Europe as a whole is phasing out Russian fossil fuels. This is a new era.
Today we will not only talk about economic security but also the broader security of our continent. You are very well aware of the challenges. In just two months, several cables linking your countries to neighbours have been damaged. There is a pattern. And we cannot ignore it. This is why I welcome NATO's Baltic Sentry initiative, launched last month. Now more than ever, Europe and NATO must work in full complementarity. As discussed with Secretary-General Rutte on Monday, I see four priorities for securing our critical network infrastructure: the first is prevention, by laying new cables and diversifying our risks; the second is detection, by improving early warning of suspicious activities around these cables; the third is of course a fast response and repair; and the fourth is deterrence, with consequences for these actions.
Beyond protecting infrastructure, it is time – and even high time – to take our security and defence into our own hands. You are leading by example. Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland are among NATO's top defence spenders relative to GDP. NATO remains the foundation of our defence. But it is clear that we need an EU-wide surge in defence. Modern warfare requires scale, technology and coordination – too big for any one nation to handle alone. This is where European cooperation delivers. We will need funding – both public and private, we discussed that at the European Council at the beginning of the week. We will need more cooperation for better interoperability and lower costs. Simpler legislation, more innovation and more return on investment, in the form of increased know-how and good jobs here in Europe. The Commission is preparing a White Paper on the future of European defence, and we will present it to leaders by mid-March.
This is all the more urgent as the world is changing fast. Our long-time ally, the United States, has set a new agenda. Europe is prepared for a robust but constructive dialogue with the US, amidst growing uncertainties. We recognise potential challenges, but we are ready for that; Europe is firmly staying the course on its global engagements and partnerships.
This is especially true with a very special partner and future European member: that is Ukraine. In this new reality, Ukraine needs our support more than ever. So far, Europe has provided EUR 135 billion. Our financial support, coordinated with our G7 partners, covers most of this year's funding gap. This gives Ukrainians breathing space, it allows them to focus on what matters most, which is defending their country. But one of their most immediate challenges is also energy. While Russia is systematically targeting Ukraine's energy system, we, together, are supporting Ukraine and repairing at lightning speed. And here again, you are leading by example. Right now, a Lithuanian thermal power plant is being dismantled and sent – piece by piece – to Ukraine to be rebuild there again. This is what Baltic solidarity in action looks like. As today we are celebrating your own energy independence, you are paving the way for Ukraine's future energy security. Congratulations to all once again on today's historic landmark.
Long live Europe. Thank you very much.
