United Nations – 209 –
International Peace and Security – Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations
Summary
600seconds video
The speaker at the United Nations Security Council highlighted the deteriorating global security landscape, with conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, emphasizing the vital role of the UN. The European Union is the UN’s most reliable partner and a major donor of development aid, and it plays a significant role in global security efforts, including UN peacekeeping. The speaker discussed various international issues, including the need for peaceful solutions in Syria and the importance of maintaining a ceasefire in Gaza, supporting reconstruction efforts and a two-state solution. On Russia’s war against Ukraine, the speaker condemned Moscow’s actions, stressing the need for strong security guarantees and increased EU military spending to prevent conflict.
The discussion transitioned to addressing critical comments from President Trump about the EU’s creation, focusing on the EU’s role as a peace project and its geopolitical influence. The upcoming EU-South Africa summit was also addressed, noting potential cooperation in energy, raw materials, and security. On Ukraine, the EU’s unity in support was emphasized, with hopes for lasting peace and accountability for war crimes. In collaboration with Arab partners on Gaza, the EU aims to support governance and rights for Palestinians before undertaking reconstruction projects. The speaker closed by reiterating the importance of multilateral systems for a stable world.
Full Script
Good afternoon, everybody. It’s a really pleasure to be here at the United Nations Security Council and I’m also very happy that we have the team Europe here, so really you can see that we work all very well together. The world is more dangerous now than it has ever been since the Cold War, from Russia’s war against Ukraine to conflicts in the Middle East and the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, global security is eroding fast. But this is precisely why the United Nations is needed. Without it, the world would face even a greater chaos. The European Union is the United Nations most reliable partner and the world’s largest donor of development aid. Europe plays a major role in the UN-led security efforts, contributing over a fifth of the UN peacekeeping budget. The EU is also a security provider in its own rights with over 20 missions and operations worldwide. From Gaza to Sudan, our organizations work side by side to bring stability, provide aid and support political solutions. Today, we discussed the situation in the Middle East. In Syria, the path to stability remains fraught as the recent shocking violence has underscored. I call on all sides to seek peaceful solutions and to overcome the spiral of violence. The EU supports an inclusive transition and economic recovery. And next week, the European Union will host a donors conference aimed at generating much-needed financial support for serious reconstruction. In Gaza, the ceasefire is under strain. It is critical that both sides uphold their commitments and that phase two talks succeed. Humanitarian aid and services should not be politicized. The EU welcomes the Arab Recovery Plan and we look forward to discussing it further with our partners. As the region moves on to rebuild, the two-state solution remains the only path to sustainable peace. The Security Council also discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine. Moscow’s war is nothing more than a colonial assault and an unjust invasion of a southern neighbor. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainian people who are bombarded every day. I agree with President Trump that the killing must stop. Putin can end this war more instantly. All he needs to do is stop bombing Ukraine. Instead, Russian attacks have intensified in recent days, once again showing that Russia does not want peace. Any deal with Putin must be backed by strong security guarantees. Russia’s track record of broken treaties leaves no room for trust. In response to Russia’s threat, EU leaders have pledged to massively increase military spending, not to provoke a conflict with Russia, but to prevent it. As we strengthen Europe, the EU will remain a predictable, reliable and credible partner for the United Nations. Yes, the world is a blaze today, but the multilateral system we built remains the best path to a more stable world. So thank you and I’m happy to take some questions. Thank you so much for the briefing. President Trump said recently that the EU was created to screw the US. That was obviously in relation to trade, but how do you feel the EU can overcome that antagonism so you’re not completely sidelined on key issues like Ukraine? And on that note, have you had any kind of readout from your Ukrainian counterparts on how the talks went today in Breog? Yes, thank you for the question. First, Europe is a peace project and it was created so that there wouldn’t be any wars among the members of the European Union and we don’t have those wars. We don’t also have trade wars between ourselves because we have the internal market. When it comes to being a major player in the Jobaletical Sphere, I think right now everything our relations with third parties around the world show that everybody is looking at us because we are the reliable, the predictable partner. So I really see the possibility to grow also Europe’s Jobaletical presence. And when it comes to the talks right now, then the messages that we get from Ukraine that these talks are very constructive. So we will look forward to more news from that. Sure, and South African broadcasting. But I wonder if you could preview the upcoming EU South Africa summit in Cape Town, which EU Commission leadership will attend, particularly as my context is framed in the context that Europe has been attacked by the United States in the main Donald Trump and Elon Musk as has South Africa. I wonder if you can frame this upcoming meeting in that context and also in the context of South Africa’s G20 presidency. Yes, South Africa’s G20 presidency is built on sustainability and equality for all. These are the basic principles also of European Union. So we see a lot of cooperation points. And I was just in South Africa in preparation for the summit with the ministers and I can say that we found a lot of points of cooperation when it comes to energy cooperation, when it comes to critical raw materials, but also security arrangements. So I think there is a lot of room for cooperation. And I also think that the shifts in Jobalytics really give Europe the possibility to build these relationships really anew. Thank you. Thank you, Representative. It’s panel of talk US News and we’ll report more on Ukraine. The real question is Ukraine, as you know better than anyone, has divided the European Union, US here at the UN, among other places. A follow up on the earlier question, what is your best hope of what comes out of Saudi Arabia talks? Thank you. Thank you. First, in Europe we have been very united on our response and support to Ukraine. And that is actually considering that we are 27 countries. We have been able to keep this and I think it’s very important because our strength is unity, really. When it comes to talks, I think everybody is looking forward to peace that lasts, peace that ends the human suffering. So we are willing to work for such kind of solutions. We also know that there has to be accountability for the crimes committed. Also we are here today in the United Nations and the United Nations Charter, which is a very, very good document of universal principles. But there also has to be a response if somebody violates those principles. And therefore I think it is in our interest together with our like-minded partners all across the world that the UN Charter is still applicable. Thank you. Middle East. One more. Okay. Nabil Abisaba, the Arab TV station. So you talked about the Arab plan for Gaza. What are the areas that you think you can work with the Arab group on Gaza? And do you have benchmarks? You have maybe timeframe to the process? Are you planning to start funding any projects anytime soon? Yes, thank you. We are in close cooperation with our Arab partners and we are studying the plan carefully and also seeing what could be our contribution. It is clear that for any kind of reconstruction there has to be stability and peace. Otherwise it is very hard to build this. And therefore the governance of Gaza is extremely important discussion point where European Union sees also the role to be mediating partner there. We definitely want to see the governance of Gaza so that Palestinians have their rights respected and we will closely cooperate with our Arab partners. How can we build this further before we discuss any kind of additional funding? Thank you. Good. Thank you, everybody. Thank you.
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