Speeches

Madam President, this package of EUR 90 billion is not only support to Ukraine; it's an investment in our common European future. Today, Ukraine is our front line. Ukrainians defend our freedom; we must show them the same commitment. Europe must increase our own financial contribution and we must make use of the frozen assets – it's not a question of either/or. Colleagues, this is Putin's war. Make Russia pay! Slava, Ukraini!

Mr President, thank you very much. In the ice cold, Russia ruthlessly knocks out heat and electricity grids while Ukraine's population freezes. At the same time, Russian athletes are welcomed back into the Olympic heat, and Putin thereby secures the gold in the propaganda victory. Ukrainian toboggan rider Anton Dukach is forced to share the course with a Russian competitor, then under a neutral flag. At the same time, Ukrainian skeleton skier Vladyslav Heraskevych is stopped from competing with a helmet adorned with pictures of killed Ukrainian athletes. We have heard it before, that sport and politics are not connected. But on the same day that the Olympic Games in Sochi ended in 2014, Putin chose to annex Crimea. And the world was watching. By 2026, we will be doing the same. He who is neutral is on the side of the perpetrator. Slava Ukraini.

Mr President, Ukraine needs Europe and, even more so, Europe needs Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has developed and scaled up an extraordinary drone industry, a cutting-edge expertise in modern warfare unlike anything we have seen before. In a basement somewhere in Ukraine, I got to witness it myself: a high-tech army of volunteers working tirelessly every day of the week and every hour of the day to construct and repair drones. To face the Russian threat to Europe, we must work together with them. Russia might be bigger, but Ukraine is smarter. Slava Ukraini.

Mr President, thank you very much. The Commission! The Council! Georgia has long been a beacon of reform and European cooperation and has been a haven for openness and democracy in the Caucasus. Putin's door is now wide open. "We are the subject of a Russian special operation," the leader of the Democratic Coalition said. What is happening is a determined process to move the country in the same direction as Belarus. Last year, the same kind of agency law was passed that banned civil society in Russia. The speed of the journey away from democracy and the rule of law has accelerated since the rigged elections. The pro-Moscow government does not represent the people. Their government is not legitimate and must not be regarded as such by the outside world. That is why the EU needs to move forward with tough sanctions, which also target individuals who are responsible for what can only be called oppression.

Madam President, Ukraine is not only fighting for its own existence: Ukraine is fighting for us. With today's decision, the European Parliament ensures that Ukraine receives the support they need before time runs out. This is our message to EU leaders in Brussels: we expect you to deliver. It is now or never. Make Russia pay. Slava Ukraini.

Madam President, Commission, colleagues. It is a disgrace that Europe has made Russia's war of aggression possible. As the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs explained – since the full-scale invasion, Europe has imported Russian oil and gas of an amount of EUR 201 billion. If we add other imports, the number grows to EUR 311 billion. That is EUR 124 billion more than we have sent in support to Ukraine. The decision to stop Russian gas imports is important, but not enough. We have to stop every single euro going into Putin's war chest. It is outrageous that we are still buying steel from Russia. Last year, a volume as large as Sweden's entire annual steel production was imported to the EU. It is about damn time to stop doing business with Russia.

Madam President, colleagues, day and night, Russia continues to terrorise and kill Ukrainian people and destroy homes and infrastructure. Since the beginning of the war, it has been clear: Russia must pay. Europe must make use of the frozen assets, and we must increase our own financial contributions. It is not a question of 'either/or'. Since 2022, tariff-free trade with the EU has served as an economic lifeline for Ukraine. This commitment must stand firm until Ukraine is a full member of the European Union. Today, Ukraine is our frontline. Ukrainians defend our freedom. We must show the same commitment to them. We stand with Ukraine.

Madam President, thank you very much. At the moment, the demand for new icebreakers is record high. The United States, Canada and Sweden also need to replace old ships. But above all, this is because the need to monitor the polar regions has increased dramatically. A warmer climate leads to new trade routes. China and Russia are taking a bigger place in the Arctic, both civilianly and militarily. At the same time, the United States is threateningly repeating its ambitions with regard to Greenland. The Arctic is not for sale. The Arctic is not a military training ground for the great powers. Therefore, it is in Europe's interest to increase engagement for peace and security, environment and climate and economic development with our Arctic allies. So far, Europe has done too little and too late, but now is the time.

Mr President, thank you very much. The Commission. Colleagues. Listeners. Already before the 2009 European elections, the Liberals in Sweden warned that Europe would make itself dependent on Putin's gas, as there are two problems with Russian gas: It's Russian and it's gas. We are finally stopping Russian gas to Europe, even if it had been a long time ago. whereas more than three years have passed since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and eleven years since Russia’s annexation of Crimea; The previously naive attitude towards Russian gas, and the unfortunate nuclear shutdown in Germany, have contributed to this taking time. But let's finally make the right decision. Stop the influx into Putin's war cash!

Madam President, thank you very much. The Commission. Colleagues. It is time for Russia to pay for the war in Ukraine. The EU must take the next step and use the frozen Russian assets fully as an advance on pending war reparations. Why don't we already have a decision in place? Well, because there is concern from member states who have benefited from having the assets in custody. A concern that Russia will never pay any war reparations. concerns about the impact on the position of the euro; This constant worry must end. There is one thing to be worried about: Ukraine would lose, we would let Putin win the war. So slaughter the chicken. Make Russia pay!

Madam President, thank you very much. Colleagues. There is talk of trust, but I wonder here why you stand on the side of the perpetrator. If a pyromaniac burns down your house, do you think you should pay to rebuild it? Who is to blame for the destruction of Ukraine if not Russia? Why shouldn't Russia pay?

Madam President, thank you very much. Today is October 7, a date that will never be separated from Hamas' bloody terror attack. Two years have passed since the worst assault on Jews since the Holocaust. A heinous wave of anti-Semitism is now sweeping across Europe, a hatred that has become increasingly coarser. This is also happening in Sweden. People are threatened, harassed, murdered just because they are Jews, because they express their Jewish identity or practice their religion. This is a shared European responsibility: that all Jews should be able to live in freedom and security – in the synagogue, at school or on the streets of the city. In Europe, you should be able to wear your Star of David or your kippa openly, with joy and pride.

Mr President, Commissioner, Council, colleagues, there is no reason to put lipstick on a pig. The deal with the United States is not good. It's not good for the EU, nor for the US or for shared security interests. It's because of Trump, who has taken the United States out of rules-based international order and into an era of disorder and chaos. In this situation, a stronger EU is needed more than ever. But I hear colleagues from the extremes, from the left and from the right, complain that we did not get a better deal, while at the same time doing everything they can to weaken the EU. This is not serious. Our best response is now to strengthen the single market, to say yes to more free trade agreements, to support Ukraine and to impose tougher sanctions on Russia. We must also draw a hard line when Trump attempts to interfere with legislation that is ours to decide. We can't have a situation where Donald Trump dictates the rules for the biggest tech companies operating in Europe, or how we shall protect children from addictive use and endless scrolling of social media. That is up to us to decide. No one else. When the EU speaks, it does so with the voice of 27 countries, 450 million Europeans, and the world's second-largest economy. Let's use that.

Madam President, thank you very much. The Commission! Colleagues and listeners! The EU continues to be the world's best environmental organisation, and today we show that it is possible to simplify but at the same time stick to climate ambitions. In a global economy, everyone has to take responsibility and reduce emissions, not just move them elsewhere, to some other part of the world. EU climate tariffs are an excellent example of how we can use EU trade policy as a tool to achieve our climate goals. It is not a good idea to move your emissions elsewhere. Bad climate policy should not be a competitive advantage. At a time when the US is leaving the Paris Agreement, we must continue to show that it is possible and link growth to green transition. Our constituents voted for what our industry demanded, and the climate demands it.

Mr President, thank you very much. Colleagues! With promises of high tariffs on the entire world, which would bring the United States into an economic golden age, Donald Trump won the battle for the White House. Well, how's it going? Not so good for Trump. Not only does protectionism make us all poorer on both sides of the Atlantic, but since January the president has also succeeded in destroying America's reputation. The trust capital of countries and markets that have taken US administrations decades to work up has in a few months gone up in smoke. Is the US still a credible partner? Unfortunately, that is the question we need to ask ourselves today. In fact, the United States continues to be so important to us in Europe, but remember that Europe is equally important to the United States. I would therefore like to address a call directly to you, Commissioner Šefčovič, and to the Council. Let's not fold down. Don't let the United States dictate the terms of the negotiations on our trade relations. If the United States chooses to erect illegal tariff barriers against us, we are ready to defend ourselves, both ourselves and free trade as a principle. We need to push hard on Trump and at the same time show both the US and the world that the EU, with its more than 70 trade agreements, is a credible partner to trade and negotiate with.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, while Ukraine is fighting for its existence, Moldova is working hard for a European future. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, free trade between the EU and Moldova has not only been beneficial, but has served as a hope for the EU candidate, Moldova. But soon, on 24 July 2025, the temporary trade liberalisation will come to an end, and the Commission has still not presented a solution for what will happen next. Let's be frank: this is a huge mistake. Competition from Moldova's farmers is not the threat to EU farmers; it's Russia's war. It is in our mutual interest to make sure that Moldova stays on its path towards European integration – not to push them into Putin's claws.

Mr President, thank you very much. The world is changing rapidly, but the EU continues to be the world's best and foremost environmental organisation. Now we confirm that we want and we can and we have the courage to tackle emissions and show global leadership in reducing climate emissions and completing the work that we joined in the last mandate. Border adjustment mechanism for the climate, it is a complicated word, but it is based on a simple principle; it is the polluter who has to pay regardless of where the emissions occur and it should pay to take climate responsibility. We only have one planet. It is not enough that we get emissions down here in Europe, if we instead move them to China. Low climate ambition should never be a competitive advantage. That is why this decision is so important.

Mr President, dear colleagues, in front of us we have a proposal to continue with free trade between the EU and Ukraine for steel products. This vote takes place in a moment when Russian drones and missiles continue to terrorise the Ukrainian people and destroy infrastructure, and at a time when the United States has chosen to impose a 25 % tariff on Ukrainian steel products. Ukraine's steel industry is the backbone of the country's defence industry, and it saves lives because the steel goes to the production of bullet-proof vests and equipment for mine‑sweeping. Since the beginning of the Russian full‑scale invasion, tariff‑free trade has served as an economic lifeline for Ukraine. Today, we can reaffirm our commitment by endorsing our partnership by voting in favour of free trade with Ukrainian steel. Ukraine is not only fighting for its own existence; Ukraine is fighting for us. So, colleagues, let us give the right signal to Ukraine and to the rest of the world: the European Union stands firm in both principle and action.

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, Russia must bring all the stolen kids back home to Ukraine immediately. It is more than painful to realise the fact that tonight thousands of Ukrainian children will not have dinner, not prepare their homework, nor go to bed at home. This summer, 19 000 or more Ukrainian kids will not be together with their loved ones because they have been stolen, taken by Russia far away from their homes and unlawfully adopted by Russian families or institutions, often forced to promote Russia. This is not only a crime which must be punished; it is an attempt to erase their identity and turn them into tools of future aggression. Children are non-negotiable. Bring the kids back home now!

Mr President, thank you very much. How to Cure Trump Anxiety? The best recipe is a strong Europe. A Europe that stands up for all the things that make this planet a little better: democracy, free trade, science, enlightenment, rule of law, gender equality. Or simply put: This is called liberalism. Since President Trump moved into the White House, we have seen an American president who has devoted all his power to sabotaging relations with his best friends, who, with aggressive campaign diplomacy, threatens both the global order and individual countries, who is starting trade wars and who is conducting an economic experiment with our wallets and our pensions by imposing high tariffs. We're ready to fight back. When Trump fails and Putin threatens Europe, we need to stick together. A stronger EU that defends the interests of Europe, Sweden and Ukraine is what we need. When the U.S. even raises tariffs on Ukraine, we will work to eliminate them. When the US tries to rule by dividing the EU, we will strengthen the single market and trade more with each other. Today, the EU has the most trade agreements in the world with a total of 74 countries. More are on the way. How Many New Deals Does Donald Trump Have? Zero.

Mr President, thank you very much. The Commission! Dear colleagues, Russia’s war against Ukraine has a very high price. The costs can be measured in many dimensions, in damages and losses for the whole society and individual people, ultimately human lives. There is no one but Russia to pay for the war you have chosen to start when you invade a peaceful neighboring country. Last autumn, we decided to send the proceeds of the frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. Now it is time to take the next step and free up the assets themselves, which in Europe alone amount to around EUR 200 billion. Europe's financial institutions and markets should not be a tool for warlords to secure their assets in the protection of our legal systems. Russia will pay! Slava Ukraini!

We live in a world where we depend on each other. European agriculture also depends on inputs, on fuel, on energy from other parts of the world. It seems that this debate overlooks it. We are dependent on each other and the more we can cooperate and trade with each other, create friendships and collaborations, find forms in which we can all win, the more we get a growing economy and a better world. If we say no to free trade agreements, if we cooperate less, how does it make Europe's farmers stronger? Not in one way, if the truth be told.

I think it is very good that we hear such an example of how lies and disinformation spread from the margins of politics. They are threatening that people will get cancer and that this will basically kill people. These are lies, these are disinformation, and you should be ashamed. Stop spreading lies. Read inside. We are all knowledgeable about what is in this draft agreement. It is clear that Europe benefits from competitiveness. This is what makes all sectors, including the agricultural sector, strong and prosperous. You should understand that, too.