(Det talte ord gælder)

On behalf of the Presidium of the Danish Parliament and the Foreign Policy Committee, I would like to welcome you all to today’s meeting on Ukraine.

The 24th of February marks three years since Russian tanks crossed Ukraine’s borders and launched a full-scale invasion. 

Russia’s attack sent shockwaves through the civilized world. We thought that war on European soil was a thing of the past.

But the people in Ukraine stood their ground, and they are fiercely resisting Putin’s war machine.
For Ukrainians, love of their country and freedom come above all else. We deeply respect that.

Ukrainian soldiers are fighting bravely on the frontlines. 

The civilian population supports them and endures, even though their daily lives have become incredibly difficult. 

Shelling of homes, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure spreads fear and causes immense human suffering.
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There is a well-known saying in military theory: War is nothing but the continuation of politics by other means.

Applied to Russia, there's no doubt that Russian politics is driven by sheer power.

Russia does not respect the rules-based international order that we have built since World War II.

Putin disregards international law and diplomacy. 

He does everything he can to deny Ukrainians the right to choose their own political leaders and decide which alliances and partnerships they want to be part of.

That is why this is not a war with shades of gray. Not a war where we can say “on the one hand” and “on the other hand.” 

This is a battle between dictatorship and democracy. Between freedom and oppression.

In the Danish Parliament, political parties may disagree on many things. 
But all parties stand 100 percent behind Ukraine’s fight for freedom. Ukraine is fighting for the same values that our Danish society is built on. 

That is why we stand firmly with Ukraine. That is why we have supported Ukraine from day one.
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A lot has happened in the past few weeks. We continue to hope for peace, but we must make it clear that peace cannot be achieved on the aggressor’s terms. 

That is why Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations on peace. 

The Danish position is that we can agree to the terms of a peace agreement if Ukraine can accept the terms, too. 
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When the war is over, we must help rebuild Ukraine. It will take billions. 
Together with my colleagues in the Presidium, I have visited Ukraine and seen the devastating destruction caused by Russia.

Denmark is committed to ensuring that our support covers military, economic, and humanitarian needs — both in the short and long term.

The purpose of today’s meeting is to mark the approaching three-year commemoration of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. And to gain a comprehensive overview of how Denmark can support Ukraine in the best way possible.

I look forward to presentations that will shed light on the topic.

To begin, I now give the floor to the Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, Michael Aastrup Jensen, who will guide us through today’s discussions.

Michael, the floor is yours.