Albares defends a “just and lasting” peace in Ukraine before the EU, the use of frozen assets, and new sanctions against Russia

Eduardo González/Ane Barcos Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reiterated on Wednesday, November 26, to his European Union counterparts “Spain’s commitment to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine” and defended the use of frozen Russian assets to help the country recover and a new package of sanctions against Russia for “everything related to actions in the maritime sector.” Albares explained this in a video released by the Ministry at the end of the extraordinary informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council convened by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Defense Policy, Kaja Kallas, to coordinate the European position regarding a possible peace process. The meeting, in which the foreign ministers of the member states and the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, participated via videoconference, took place after negotiations last Sunday in Geneva between representatives of the United States, Ukraine, and EU institutions to address a possible peace plan for Ukraine based on the 28-point proposal by US President Donald Trump. “At the Extraordinary Council on Ukraine, Spain conveyed its commitment to this process toward peace, a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” which “requires an unconditional and immediate ceasefire and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, which must be able to make all the decisions that a sovereign and democratic state makes,” Albares stated in the video. “Of course, everything related to the European Union, NATO, and European Security must be discussed with us, with the Europeans,” he cautioned. According to the minister, “Spain is prepared to do everything in its power for peace, for a just and lasting peace, to support the Ukrainian people, and to do everything possible for peace.” “That is why we support the use of frozen assets, reparations loans, and the new sanctions package, number 20, and everything related to actions in the maritime sector,” he added. At the European Council meeting last October, the leaders of the European Union committed to covering Ukraine's financial needs between 2026 and 2027. Within this framework, the European Commission presented its proposal to the 27 member states to enable a “reparations loan” using frozen Russian sovereign assets worth €140 billion. This option has generated disagreement among the 27, especially due to the opposition of the Belgian government. “Europe’s vital interests are at stake in Ukraine, and that is why we must make decisions quickly, including considering moving towards our autonomy and our own sovereignty, which means increasingly placing security in European hands,” Albares concluded in his video. The FAC During the extraordinary FAC meeting, EU foreign ministers discussed the conditions for supporting the peace plan proposed by the United States and emphasized the need to continue pressuring Russia and to strengthen commitments of military and financial support to Ukraine. The meeting took place two days after the informal meeting of EU heads of state and government convened in Luanda (on the sidelines of the European Union-African Union Summit) by the President of the European Council, António Costa, to address the same issue. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also participated in Wednesday's video call, providing an update on the situation from the Ukrainian perspective. The discussion focused on how to increase pressure on Russia to cease its aggression, while continuing to provide military and financial support to Ukraine. In this regard, Kallas stressed that, although the EU welcomes the US push for peace, "how it ends also matters," because "we must remember that there is an aggressor and a victim." In this regard, the ministers agreed on the need for the EU to remain firm in its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. “It is important that we continue to support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia. That is what we are working on,” Kallas stated. Kallas also reiterated that pressure on Russia remains a key element in the peace negotiations. “We must remember that there is an aggressor and a victim. Peace must focus on what Russia must do, not on what Ukraine must sacrifice,” she stated, clarifying that, at this time, there are no signs that Russia is willing to negotiate in a serious manner. “Russia is not reducing its military machine, but rather intensifying it,” she added. “An immediate and unconditional ceasefire must be the first step to ending the war,” the EU's foreign policy chief noted. “But, for now, we see no indication that Russia is ready for a ceasefire,” she emphasized. In that regard, she denounced that Russia is not reducing its military machine, “but rather reinforcing it,” insisting on the need to “move from a situation in which Russia pretends to negotiate to a situation in which it needs to negotiate.” She thus reiterated the need to increase pressure on the Kremlin. “To ensure the best outcome for Ukraine and Europe, we must stay the course, but accelerate the pace,” she stated, noting that “this implies more sanctions to deprive Russia of the means to fight and more support.” In this regard, she stressed that the EU will continue to provide financial support to Ukraine and security guarantees to ensure the country can continue defending its sovereignty against Russian aggression, recalling the EU's commitment to cover Ukraine's financial needs until 2027. In this context, options such as the so-called Reparations Loan were discussed, which Kallas described as “the clearest option.” Regarding the progress of discussions on this initiative, she noted that the Commission has presented the capitals with an “options document” outlining several alternatives for financing Ukraine and addressing its military needs. She explained that concrete proposals will be presented soon, as member states have expressed numerous technical concerns, making it necessary to examine the legislative text that Brussels is preparing. She also emphasized the urgency of moving forward, especially because “this is an instrument that Russia clearly does not want,” and linked its importance to other European efforts, such as the sanctions against the ghost fleet. She highlighted that “in November alone, Russia's oil revenues fell by 35% thanks to European and American sanctions.” Kallas thus reaffirmed that the EU's objective is not only to achieve peace in Ukraine, but also to guarantee the long-term security of Europe. "We support any peace plan that brings a just and lasting peace to Ukraine, but also one that guarantees the security of Europe in the future," she concluded. Von der Leyen For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed before the European Parliament on Wednesday the need to ensure Ukraine’s financial needs due to “Russia’s lack of genuine intention to engage in peace talks.” Therefore, during the debate on the EU’s position regarding the peace plan proposed by Donald Trump, von der Leyen insisted that support for Ukraine begins with guaranteeing the necessary resources for its defense and economic stability, and indicated that the next step will be the presentation of the legal text to formalize this European support.

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