Ukraine's EU Membership & Frozen Assets: Parliament Speaker Stefanchuk on Ukraine's Needs

Ukraine's Gratitude and Urgent Needs

• 🇫🇷 Speaker Rouslan Stefanchuk expresses deep gratitude to France for its support and highlights Ukraine's urgent needs: air defense systems and more weapons to continue the fight.
• 🤝 He emphasizes the necessity of continuing the fight together with international partners, including Europe and France.

Legal Mechanisms for Frozen Russian Assets

• ⚖️ Stefanchuk, a legal scholar, argues that law must hold aggressors accountable and cannot protect those who violate international law.
• 💰 He advocates for finding legal mechanisms to utilize frozen Russian assets to pay for the war, setting a precedent that criminals will pay for their actions.
• ⚠️ The current barriers to unlocking these resources are discussed, with a focus on the EU's position of using only profits, not the assets themselves.

Countering the 'Axis of Evil'

• 🌍 Ukraine views Russia, Iran (supplying Shahed drones), and North Korea as an 'axis of evil' that threatens global peace.
• ✨ The goal is to create an 'axis of good' to fight for future generations and reduce suffering for peaceful citizens and infrastructure.
• 📉 Weakening Iran, North Korea, and Russia is seen as beneficial for Ukraine and global stability.

Western Support and EU Accession

• 🇺🇸 While acknowledging significant US support, Ukraine seeks continued American backing to ensure its confidence and to uphold international law.
• 🇪🇺 Ukraine is fulfilling all its obligations for EU accession, adopting laws and carrying out reforms, and expects honesty from its European partners.
• 🚫 Stefanchuk asserts that Hungary should not act as Putin's veto on Ukraine's EU membership, as Putin has no right to block EU decisions.

Anti-Corruption Efforts and Refugee Status

• 📈 Ukraine is committed to its anti-corruption policy, with the parliament adopting laws weekly to meet EU requirements.
• 🏛️ High-profile officials, including the ex-head of the Supreme Court and ministers, have faced accusations, demonstrating zero tolerance for corruption at the highest levels.
• 🏡 Ukraine desires the return of its citizens who fled the war, viewing them as a 'golden resource' for rebuilding the country after peace is established.