“A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is vital for security across Europe. Together, we must ensure that Ukraine is in the best possible position, both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, where Ukraine should sit together with its biggest supporter, the European Union. The European Union’s position must be firm and united: it must not put up with short-term solutions that, by their very nature, do not ensure a just and lasting peace. At the same time, peace negotiation processes do not reduce our ambition to support Ukraine faster and to a greater extent, and to rapidly constrain Russia in a targeted manner. Europe must invest more in its security and defence capabilities and continue as active as possible coordination and communication with the United States. There are a number of options that the EU has not yet explored. For example, we must be able to find immediate legal solutions for the channelling of all immobilized assets of the Russian Central Bank into support and reconstruction of Ukraine. We must be able to agree and unlock the resources of the European Peace Mechanism. We must be able to put even more economic pressure on Russia, including by strengthening sanctions and preventing their circumvention. Lifting or relaxing sanctions should also be ruled out in the event of a ceasefire, as sanctions undermine Russia’s economy and limit its ability to regroup itself in order to resume aggression after a while, as it has been doing time and again,” the Parliamentary Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Dace Melbārde, underlined at the meeting of the EU General Affairs Council on 25 February, as preparations were made of the agenda for the European Council meeting on 20–21 March.
The meeting was opened with a moment of silence to mark three years since Russia has been waging its brutal war of aggression in Ukraine.
As ministers continued their discussion on the agenda of the European Council of 20-21 March, they focused on the issues of EU competitiveness. “The simplification and reduction of the administrative burden is our horizontal priority at both national and EU level. Economic and regional fragmentation among Member States needs to be tackled without further delay. We expect a new horizontal strategy to deepen and expand the EU Single Market. We must be able to terminate energy dependence on Russia actively and in a targeted manner, both by finding alternatives and by ensuring access to a secure and green energy. We also support stepping up work on the creation of a Savings and Investment Union,” Dace Melbārde noted.
She also stressed: “In this geopolitical reality, we can no longer talk about a strong and globally competitive Europe without taking a new approach to financing its security and defence. We need to step up investment in defence industry and manufacturing, infrastructure, capabilities and civil protection. It is also essential to continue socio-economic convergence, including through traditional policies such as Cohesion and the common agricultural policy, as well as making available appropriate financing for regional infrastructure and for those most affected by the Russian aggression.”
In an exchange of views on the European Commission’s (EC) Work Programme for 2025 and on multiannual programming, Dace Melbārde stressed: “Given the geopolitical situation, it is essential that all EU institutions during the EU’s new legislative cycle – the Council of the EU, the European Commission, and the European Parliament – work closely together. We must be united, we must safeguard our values and a rules-based international order, and we must build an economic muscle to be able to defend ourselves and continue to support Ukraine.” Dace Melbārde pointed out that Latvia’s priority areas in the EC Work Programme are comprehensive support for Ukraine and constraining Russia, strengthening the EU’s security, defence and crisis preparedness, protecting the EU’s external border, and combating the weaponisation of migration, promoting competitiveness, and strengthening the EU Single Market. Sufficient funding will have to be provided for the EU’s key priorities, especially security, in the next EU Financial Framework (2028–2034).
In a discussion on EU enlargement, Dace Melbārde underlined: “The EU is primarily a union of values. Those values must be respected in both the EU and the EU candidate countries; therefore, three lines of action are important: strengthening democracy, protecting human rights, and strengthening the rule of law. We advocate for linking the budget to the Member States’ performance in terms of the rule of law and strengthening of civil society and independent media. The EU must also help candidate countries to enhance security and resilience by countering the hybrid threat of disinformation and interference in political processes, among other things. The EU must also assist those countries in implementing reforms of the rule of law, anti-corruption, and good governance.”
Further information
- The General Affairs Council deals with matters affecting more than one EU policy, such as negotiations on EU enlargement, preparations for the meeting of the European Council, development of the EU’s multiannual budget, as well as the rule of law, institutional and administrative matters.
- The European Commission Work Programme 2025 published on 11 February 2025 defines three main themes: (1) a targeted course to a stronger and more united Europe; (2) simplifying rules and effective implementation; (3) steps towards Europe’s strength and unity; and six priority lines of action.
