On Monday, 29 September, within the framework of the Warsaw Security Forum, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha took part in the panel discussion “Increasing the Stakes: Should Europe Be Feared?”. Other participants included Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski, Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul, and France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
The Foreign Minister outlined three key points necessary to achieve peace: U.S. involvement, tougher sanctions against Russia, and strengthening Ukraine’s defence capability. Sybiha stressed that Ukraine seeks to end the war as soon as possible.
Referring to Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine on 28 September, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister drew his colleagues’ attention to the fact that Russia is already waging a hybrid war against Europe and will only escalate further.
“We must forget the notion that Ukraine is a buffer zone. We are an integral part of European security. Ukrainian and European security are indivisible,” he emphasised.
Sybiha highlighted the importance of synchronising European sanctions with U.S. restrictive measures. In his view, sanctions are a key way to force Putin to the negotiating table.
“It’s time for our partners to shed dreams and illusions. It’s time to recognise that Russia is waging a hybrid war against all of us, against the entire transatlantic community. Europe and the U.S. are not at war with Russia, but Russia is at war with Europe and the U.S.,” the Minister said.
The Foreign Minister stressed that an important element of the joint struggle against Russia is to strengthen Ukraine and fully utilise Russia’s frozen assets.
“We truly count on decisive steps toward full use of Russian assets so that Ukraine can already purchase additional weapons in America and Europe. For Ukrainians, this can be an effective tool and a strong response to Russia’s escalation,” he stated.
The Minister underlined the importance of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent successful meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and once again confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to organise a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia, which should result in a ceasefire.
According to Sybiha, it is important not only to find a way to end the war but also to prevent future aggression. The solution lies in building defence infrastructure and reliable, legally binding security guarantees. The Minister separately emphasised the role of the U.S. in supporting peace initiatives and stressed the importance of ensuring post-war military presence of European and other partners’ forces in Ukraine with U.S. support.
A crucial element of security guarantees should be Ukraine’s full EU membership. In this context, Sybiha highlighted the significance of the results of the parliamentary elections held in Moldova on 28 September. He stressed that Russia failed to influence the popular vote, and that this was a great day for Europe.
The head of Ukraine’s diplomatic service called on partners to seize this moment, find the right formula to overcome Hungary’s veto, and open negotiation clusters for Ukraine and Moldova in the near future.
Andriy Sybiha expressed confidence that, despite today’s enormous challenges, Ukraine together with its allies is moving closer to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.
