Volodymyr Zelensky, Commissioner, today we stand in Kiev on a grim anniversary.

It has been 4 years since Russia launched its full scale war against your country.

Even in the face of this terror, the resilience of the Ukrainian people remains undimmed.

We have seen 4 years of extraordinary courage from your soldiers and from your citizens,

whose bravery will echo through history. This will never be forgotten.

In those 4 years, the support from your friends.

Mr President,

the European Union has provided nearly €200 billion in military and financial support.

More than any other partner, and there is more to come.

Let me spell out three ways of support how our support will be maintained and how it will be reinforced.

The first one is the European Union loan of EUR €90 billion.

We call it the steel porcupine loan because it should give Ukraine the strength of a steel porcupine indigestible for potential invaders. Let me be crystal clear.

The President of the Council also said it.

The loan was agreed by 27 heads of state and government in the European Council. They have given their word. This word cannot be broken.

So we will deliver on the loan one way or the other.

Let me be very clear, we have different options and we will use them. Now let's look at the loan itself.

The first priority of the Porcupine loan is to address your most urgent defense needs.

It will help to procure, to produce,

to develop and to secure advanced defense equipment for the brave Ukrainian forces.

That ranges from drones to missiles to ammunition, and the work has already started.

Together with the Ukrainian forces, we have identified a first package, a priority package.

Our aim is to deliver it before Easter. It includes drones and ammunition.

In parallel, we are working intensely on the integration of both our defense industries.

We can learn a lot from the Ukrainian defense industry,

you can count on us with our well established structures in the defense industries, so more integration is the goal.

Of course,

the ultimate aim is that your soldiers will gain a decisive edge on the battlefield to protect Ukraine.

Of course,

the European Union will have access to valuable cutting edge innovation that is also applicable to other industries.

The 2nd priority is to help you through this harsh winter. Invincibility tents.

We have seen it this morning, we visited one.

They have become the symbol of the Ukrainian solidarity and the unbreakable resolve of Ukraine.

In this difficult moment, let me reassure you that we stand firmly by your side.

The European Commission is the largest donor of energy support, to a value of EUR €3 billion so far.

Since the start of the war, we have provided over 11 generators and almost 10 delivered in January alone,

but of course we have to go further.

Therefore, we have now a new package of EUR 100 million to deliver immediate support,

that is what is needed right now. It's available on the market.

So far the money was not there, so the EUR 100 million package can immediately be invested.

While we help you through this winter, we start preparing together with you the next winter.

We will work on a new, we call it winter energy plan for 26 and 27. The name is repair, rebuild and restart.

It will include a package of EUR 920 million to stabilize Ukraine's energy system,

so just to give a few examples, it will secure the steady flow of electricity across the country.

It will accelerate the decentralization of the production of renewable energy. You mentioned how important it is.

It will, of course, repair and rebuild and modernize the grids.

It will repair and restart the damaged power plants too.

Let me add that there is a lot of coordination that has to go on,

because lots of in kind support is needed, it is available, but we have to bring it together.

Therefore, Commissioner Jørgensen and Deputy Prime Minister Mihál will convene an energy at Ramstein in March already,

in order to coordinate and have a very seamless and precise work together from both sides,

the Ukrainian and the European Union.

It will ensure that Ukraine gets exactly the supplies and the material it needs now.

Finally Let me address the issue of energy security within the European Union.

The Russian attacks on the Druzhba pipeline have had a direct impact on European energy security. We condemn sharply these Russian attacks.

I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković,

for his efforts to secure and increase the transport of oil to Hungary,

Slovakia and to Serbia through the Adriatic Pipeline.

In the meantime, we ask for the repairs on the pipeline after the Russian attacks to be accelerated.

Now, our 3rd priority is to maintain maximum pressure on the aggressor.

We will soon get our 20th sanctions package over the line.

Our sanctions will keep draining Russia's revenues and weakening its war machine.

We are closely coordinating with our G7 partners for maximum scope and impact. Mr This morning we honored your fallen. At the People's Memorial in Maidan Square. Today I'm also thinking of their comrades. Bravely holding the line in the trenches. They fight for peace.

They fight for a better future for their children,

they fight for a simple dream of a free and sovereign Ukraine at the heart of a free Europe. Let me conclude by saying to them.

Europe will stand by you and stand with you until you have made that dream come true.

Long live Europe and Слава Україні.