“The European Union is, by its very nature, a project for peace, and every genuine effort to spread peace should always – always – be welcomed”. This was stated by Roberta Metsola as she spoke at the opening of the European Council that is taking place in Brussels. “We’ve made real progress over the past weeks to end the war in Ukraine. This is the closest we’ve been to securing a peace deal, and we need to maintain the momentum”, she told the heads of state and government of the 27 EU countries. “At this critical moment, it remains strategically important that we keep placing our full weight behind Ukraine. We know, from experience, that for peace to be real and lasting, it must come with dignity, justice and freedom. That means strong security guarantees and respect for the principle of ‘Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine’”. These are the prerequisites for “any credible deal”. Russia “needs to feel the pressure to come to the negotiating table – and it needs to see that it is impossible to drive a wedge between Europe, Ukraine and the United States”. She then spoke of funding, in the sense that “Ukraine is running out of money. That is why we need to urgently find ways to raise the cost of Russia’s war by doubling down on ‘peace through strength’. The moment has come to move forward and present a strong front. When we say that Europe must take responsibility for its own security – this is what it takes”.