Brussels, 22.05.2023
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Thank you to all of you for attending this press conference. I will try to summarise what has been, as always, a long day. The Council has focused, as always, on the Ukrainian issue and how to support Ukraine. We had an interesting lunch with the six Western Balkan Foreign Ministers, and we received a report on the situation in the Horn of Africa.
But let me start by pointing to a concrete decision: the adoption of the 8th package of sanctions against Iran for human rights violations, including the latest executions of three protesters that we have condemned strongly. We condemn also the recent execution of a Swedish dual citizen. And on the other hand, the good news is the release of two detained European Union citizens on 12 May.
We also mentioned – I did it during our meeting this morning – yesterday’s International Day of Solidarity with the Political Prisoners in Belarus. There are more than 1,500 people detained in appalling conditions. We do not forget them. We have been discussing the situation in Belarus, and we will also come to the final stage on the work on sanctions over interference in Moldova. I hope that it will be finalised in the coming days.
On Ukraine, the success and extent of Ukraine’s defence depends not only on the bravery of their soldiers and their people, but also on the pace of ammunition and weapons. On the pace of [our] deliveries. That is why, our military support has to continue, has to increase, has to be extended [with] more air defence systems. This will make a real difference in the battlefield.
This is crucial. I explained to the Foreign Affairs Ministers how the work of our people at the [European] External Action Service (EEAS), with the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the [European] Commission on supplying weapons, ammunition and missiles, is crucial for Ukrainians to be able to defend their territory and their sovereignty.
I stressed that every day of delay in our deliveries has to be measured in human lives. It is not a matter of money. It is a matter of people being killed, of soldiers being killed or wounded. I urge all the Ministers to speed up the delivery and to participate in the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine and to finalise the work for the next tranche of the European Peace Facility (EPF).
[The] good news [is that] the European Training Mission (EUMAM Ukraine) has completed its initial goal of training 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers, and we will train another 15,000 by the end of this year.
We discussed about the 11th package of sanctions [against Russia]. The focus is on the circumvention of the sanctions that is taking place. We have to cut the circuits of circumventing sanctions because otherwise the sanctions are being weakened.
We heard explanations from [EU Sanctions Envoy] David O’Sullivan, who is engaged in addressing circumvention with partners around the world.
We discussed the situation on the battlefield, but also how to end this war. Everybody wants the war to finish. The only one that looks willing to continue the war is Putin. No one wishes peace more than Ukraine, and that is why we support the Ukrainians’ initiative, President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy’s initiative, for a just peace.
No one who is really interested in peace can put the victim and the aggressor at the same level. I have to address this message to all leaders around the world who, yes, they are very interested in peace, but they continue to put the victim and the aggressor at the same level. And this brings a peace which is not a fair and just peace that could ensure the rights of the Ukrainian people.
We had a lunch with the [EU] Foreign Affairs Ministers and the Western Balkans Ministers [for Foreign Affairs]. We do that regularly, maybe we should do that more often.
We discussed about Russia’s influence [in the region] which is trying to derail the European path of the Western Balkans candidates. We welcomed the strategic and courageous choices of some of them, who aligned fully with our foreign policy and sanctions.
And we also indicated to those who have not fully aligned yet, or not aligned at all – and I want to mention notably Serbia – that maintaining close ties with Russia is not compatible with its European Union accession process. It is also damaging to its own national interests, but certainly it is not compatible with the accession process towards the European Union.
We want to advance on enlargement, and we sent a strong message that they need to seize the momentum in the enlargement process created by the swift progress of Ukraine. Ukraine is progressing, they [also] have to follow this path at the same pace. Now is the time for them to speed up reforms, to align with the European Union’s standards and to prepare their societies for accession. There is an opportunity, a unique opportunity. They have to use it.
We mentioned specifically the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. And once again, I had to explain that being [a] member of the European Union is an exercise of cooperation. It is an exercise of States that were fighting in the past to become not only neighbours, [but also] friends, partners. This is an exercise of living together. For that, the full and swift implementation of the Agreement is the only way to the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
Tensions and mutual provocations have to reach an end. The negative atmosphere and lack of constructiveness also have to be reversed. Being member of the European Union means being able to cooperate and to act as good neighbours, overcoming all the difficulties of the past.
We discussed a lot the situation in the Horn of Africa, where there is also a very worrisome situation in Sudan.
In Sudan, the ceasefire is the first priority. There are some agreements that should enter into force tonight, but as always implementation is the key. The agreements are good if they are implemented. Otherwise, they are useless.
We will continue our support for a robust African-led framework, and we engage with partners to identify mediators, recognising the pivotal role that Djibouti has been doing during the evacuation of our citizens out of Sudan.
Reconfirming that Kenya is our strong ally in the region, continues to be a pillar of stability and playing an important role for the stabilisation of the whole region.
In Ethiopia, after two years of a devastating conflict, there is progressive normalisation of our relations. The signing of the cessation of hostilities agreement represents an important step towards peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia. Here also the word “reconciliation” after an awful war with countless atrocities – it is the key word, and we will support this reconciliation process. This process requires a strong leadership and a sustainable monitoring mechanism to ensure that the cessation of hostilities is respected by all sides, paving the way for recovery, reconstruction, and reconciliation – the three Rs. They need recovery – economic recovery – they need reconstruction, they need reconciliation.
Our Ambassador in Addis Abeba sent me the other day pictures of his visits to the region of Tigray. It is a good sign of the gradually normalising our relations with Ethiopia based on the progress made on these three requests. I want to repeat them: cessation of hostilities, including the withdrawal of Eritrean troops, unimpeded humanitarian access everywhere, to all parts of the country – particularly Tigray, but everywhere – and accountability for international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses.
We have suspended our budget support to the Ethiopian government, but we have never stopped our support to the Ethiopian population. And we have prepared two packages of special measures worth €180 million to finance programmes in the areas of health and education with a special focus in the areas affected by the conflict. This package has been adopted and the [European] Commission services will implement it.
Finally, I am glad to announce that I have launched a new Strategic Communications Taskforce, specifically for Africa, to step up our strategic communications in and with Africa and address the problems of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference [in Africa].
Also, in Somalia, where we were able to launch the Joint Operational Roadmap between the European Union and the Federal Government of Somalia which is going to be a long-standing partner. This Joint Operational Roadmap was launched earlier this month.
I think that is all.
Q&A
Q. High Representative, it is a question on sanctions circumvention. You said that Indian refiners selling Russian oil into Europe, undermines the effectiveness of EU sanctions even if no rules are being broken. Can you layout what you think the problem is? What action do you hope Member States will take?
I have been analysing cases in which, yes, we cut exports to Russia, but we increased a lot the exports to the neighbours of Russia. Before talking about this specific case, let me say that, for example, we have decreased our exports of cars to Russia by almost 80% [this means] 80% less. But at the same time, we have increased the export of cars to some of the Central Asian countries by almost 300%. It is a little bit strange, this appetite for European cars, suddenly by some neighbours of Russia. It is not a stupid idea to imagine that these cars are being imported and, afterwards, re-exported. In this case, it would be a [case of] circumvention.
On the case of India, I said clearly – and I want to repeat – that if India buys Russian oil, it is legal, it is normal. I have not blamed the Indian government, at all. Do not look for trouble. I have not blamed [the Indian government] because it is perfectly legal: our sanctions are not extra-territorial. Our firms are being bound by our decisions, but I cannot impose our will to the Indian government or the Indian companies. So, my rational: it’s normal, if thanks to our limitation on the price of oil, India can but this oil [for] cheaper, Russia gets less money. So, the less the better. But, at the same time, one has to look at that and see that India is importing a lot of Russian oil, almost 36% of the export of Russian oil goes to India, and then the exports of refined products to Europe have been multiplied almost by seven.
Once again, I am not blaming the Indian exports; they do what they want to do. They are free, I cannot impose European rules. Maybe you can consider that a refined product is a different product from oil, but the fact is that we do not import Russian oil, but we import distilled products coming from Russian oil.
The result from the point of view of circumvention, one can imagine that it is something clear, but these are the things that we have to study and see what we can do. But I insist: I never blamed the Indian government nor the Indian refiners. I cannot prevent them from doing that. If they have a good price because we imposed a cap on Russian oil, it is good for them and it is good for us because Russia gets less money for the oil they are selling.
Q. High Representative, I understand that Hungary is blocking the agreement on the next tranche of the European Peace Facility (EPF) to Ukraine, and they are saying that they want Ukraine to withdraw one Hungarian company OTP Bank from so-called ‘war sponsor list’. Do you think it is a justified demand? Is it really up to the European Union to deal with the Ukrainian government to release different companies from this list, or it should be more of a bilateral issue for Hungary and Ukraine? Also, I would like to ask if you got any feedback from Ukraine on what the solution could be on this matter.
Bilateral [issue or] multilateral [issue]. We have to do everything we can in order to make the next package of military support to Ukraine being approved. If one Member State has a difficulty, let us discuss about it – that is what we are going to do. And my role is to talk with everybody in order to try to look for solutions. Until now, we have been able to find solutions for everyone, for every tranche of military support, and I am sure we will be able to continue doing the same thing. This will require conversations among us.
Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-241466
Source – EEAS