Member of the Ukrainian parliament and leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko, speaking at the Political Assembly of the European People's Party (EPP) in Toulouse, called on European partners to urgently scale up production of modern weapons to counter Russian aggression.
"Ukraine today is not simply a defensive wall for Europe. It is buying time for the restoration of the defense industry and the conversion of the economy to a war footing. Please, do not waste this time. Ukrainians are paying for it with their lives," Poroshenko's party press service quoted him as saying.
According to him, Russia retains an advantage in the volume of military production and continues to increase the output of attack drones and missiles.
Poroshenko stressed that victory in the war depends not only on technological superiority but also on the ability to scale up weapons production.
"To defeat Russia, it is not enough for us simply to survive. We must surpass it in production. And this is not only Ukraine's task. It is the task of all Europe," he said.
The politician also called for strengthening European and transatlantic unity, increasing sanctions pressure on Russia and creating a joint defense-industrial base involving the United States, Europe and Ukraine.
The European Solidarity leader also stressed the importance of strengthening Ukraine's internal resilience by preserving democracy, the rule of law and continuing reforms during the war.
"Democracy during wartime is not a luxury. It is a source of our strength. Reforms and the fight against corruption are important components of the state's resilience in a war of attrition," he said.
In addition, Poroshenko called for accelerating Ukraine's European integration and stressed that a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire should be a condition for achieving a just and lasting peace.
The European People's Party is the largest political association in the European Union and brings together parties and partner organizations from 43 countries. The European Solidarity party has associate member status in the EPP.
