Valerii Churkin: Ukraine and the EU must act together to counter russia, which intends to prolong the war

The European Union will continue to finance security-related projects in Ukraine throughout 2025-2027.

This was discussed during a meeting between Valerii Churkin, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, and Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, Managing Director for Peace, Security, and Defence at the European External Action Service (EEAS).

“Despite statements about a possible ceasefire, we see clear signs that russia is preparing for an even larger war. They are conducting mobilization efforts, increasing arms production, and stockpiling long-range missiles,” said Valerii Churkin. 

He added that russia’s cooperation with iran, north korea, and China is also intensifying. Therefore, according to the Deputy Minister, Ukraine and its European partners must strengthen their cooperation to effectively counter this so-called ‘axis of evil.’

Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss stated that the European Union remains committed to providing targeted and effective support to Ukraine in the security and defense sector.

Both sides agreed that a key priority of cooperation is training the Armed Forces of Ukraine within EU territory, alongside investments in the defense industry. The parties also discussed how to better tailor training processes to Ukraine’s specific needs.

“Since last year, the EU Defence Innovation Office has been operating in Ukraine, enabling us to swiftly coordinate positions and identify challenges to develop further cooperation between the defense industries of Ukraine and the EU,” emphasized Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss.

The EU delegation concurred with the Ukrainian side on the increasing interest among European companies in leveraging Ukraine’s defense industry, innovations, and combat experience — expertise that will be valuable both to Ukraine and to the European External Action Service (EEAS).