Speech by the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at the European Parliament

On Tuesday 17 January the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson delivered a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In the speech, Mr Kristersson presented the Swedish Presidency's priorities. Check against delivery.

Our role as President of the Council means we have to ensure the EU’s continued economic, political, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine. For example, we will have to monitor the progress of Ukraine’s reforms – on its path toward EU membership. This also means that we have to start working on solutions for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, together with our international partners.

Reconstructing Ukraine after the war will remind us of the Marshall Plan after WW2. And in this effort, frozen Russian assets need not only to be part of the problem, but also part of the solution. I foresee a very thorough analysis on the extent to which the democratic world can unite in re-using that money, to repair some of the destruction.

Source: Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union