EU Foreign Ministers just adopted nearly 1,600 new sanctions listings targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex. This is the single largest expansion of our sanctions list since Russia started its war. Europe is again showing a united front. More than half are connected to the production chain for ballistic missiles. We are making it significantly harder, slower and more expensive for Russia to produce the weapons it uses to kill Ukrainians.

EU Member States have agreed on the terms for releasing €6.6 billion European Peace Facility funds for Ukraine. That’s good news for Ukraine and bad news for Russia. €900 million are for the EU’s Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine. €1 billion will fund new joint procurement of equipment. And €4.7 billion will reimburse Member States, with some already saying they will channel their share to Ukraine. Moscow’s hybrid attacks try to intimidate Europe into scaling back its support for Ukraine. Europe is doing the opposite.

Today, the European Union took a major step forward. All Member States agreed to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova. At the first Intergovernmental Conference on Monday, we will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process. It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions. This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges. And a signal that the EU’s offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable. Enlargement is a strategic choice. By bringing our nations closer together, we strengthen peace, security and prosperity across our continent. In a world marked by growing uncertainty, a larger European Union is in our common interest. Enlargement remains one of the EU’s greatest success stories and our best investment in our shared future.