EPP calls for a just peace: "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine"

Any peace agreement must respect Ukraine's sovereignty and be negotiated with its participation on the principle of "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, nothing about Europe without Europe", states the final declaration of the informal summit of the European People's Party, which took place yesterday, under the chairmanship of President Manfred Weber.

Therefore, in order to strengthen Ukraine's position in the peace process negotiations, the EPP leaders call on all EU Member States to reassess the possibility of stepping up arms deliveries, in particular new equipment, while respecting national security and defence policies. They argue that Ukraine's interests are, in fact, European interests and reject any compromise that would limit Ukraine's right to choose its own security arrangements, including EU and NATO membership.

The EPP also states that any new post-war security order must be aligned with the interests of the EU and its member states, in order to ensure the long-term stability of Europe. In addition, the final declaration of the European People's Summit calls for the strengthening of sanctions against all those who support Putin's war of aggression and wants the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Looking ahead, the EPP reaffirmed, in the document cited, its support for Ukraine's accession to the EU, calling for the completion of the first negotiation chapters by the end of 2025.

Beyond support for Ukraine, the EPP called for an urgent and significant increase in Europe's defence capabilities. The declaration stresses that the war in Ukraine is not only a threat to Ukraine's security, but also a major strategic challenge for the whole of Europe. To meet these challenges, the EPP has proposed the following key measures:

-increasing the defence budget: the EU must increase its defence spending to at least 3% of GDP. Member States should jointly activate the exception clause in the Stability and Growth Pact to allow for the controlled and necessary increase in this spending.

-joint procurement and strategic investments: Europe must prioritise joint defence projects to achieve economies of scale, reduce costs and improve military readiness. The European EDIRPA initiative has already demonstrated the benefits of this model and should be expanded.

- improved military mobility: the rapid transport of troops and equipment across Europe will be crucial. Cohesion funds should be mobilised to improve the necessary infrastructure.

- simplifying the procurement process: a new "Omnibus Package" should unify the rules on defence procurement, intra-EU transfers and the permits needed to speed up military readiness.

- enhanced cooperation with non-EU allies: the EU must adopt pragmatic solutions to deepen technological, procurement and operational collaboration with NATO allies and other partner states.

- finalising key defence legislation: it is urgent to finalise the European Defence Industrial Programme, strengthen the partnership with the Ukrainian defence industry and create a robust military production system in Europe.

- new institutional structures for defence: the EPP has proposed the establishment of a European Defence Council and a standing defence committee to facilitate rapid and efficient decision-making.

The European People's Party leaders also call for extraordinary EU and NATO summits, which should focus on strengthening the EU's strategic autonomy, increasing defence capabilities and developing a strong European pillar within NATO, a pillar that can act independently when necessary.