Let me start by thanking you for your commitment to the people of Ukraine, especially at this difficult moment.
Just over a year ago, I went to Ukraine, my first mission as European Commissioner.
I met some of you, and I saw, up close, what your work means to people under attack.
I remember Olha, a grandmother forced to flee her village. At a CARITAS centre, she helped build a new community from nothing.
I remember Sofia, a 12-year-old girl studying in an underground classroom we helped build, determined not to let the war steal her education.
I remember the quiet dignity of older people, forced from their homes, rebuilding their lives one step at a time. Cash assistance means one thing for them: firewood, and warmth, through the winter.
Today those faces stay with me. They are the reason we do this work and the reason we must keep going.
Russia has been attacking the people of Ukraine for four long years, in their homes, their schools, and their hospitals. And today, the humanitarian crisis is even deeper.
Missiles killing women and children. Millions without heat in freezing winter after attacks on power plants.
Today nearly one in three people in Ukraine needs urgent humanitarian help. And yet, Ukraine stands strong, and the European Union stands strong with them.
Together the European Commission and EU Member States have provided over four billion euros in humanitarian support, making the EU the worlds largest donor.
This year, we will provide initial humanitarian support of over €150 million for Ukraine and Moldova, more than double our initial support in 2024. This funding will focus on those most in need: people near the frontline, families forced to flee, and the internally displaced.
We are also linking humanitarian aid with civil protection. Since the war began, nearly 10,000 generators have been delivered from Member States, Participating States, and our rescEU reserve. After the latest attacks, we moved fast to send more generators.
We have also carried out more than 4,800 medical evacuations, so patients can get specialised care in hospitals across 22 European countries. This support will continue for as long as needed.
Todays discussions matter for two reasons.
First, we need an honest look at the humanitarian situation and our response. What is working? What needs to change? And how can we do better for people on the ground?
Second, our humanitarian funding must stay reliable and predictable because as global rules are attacked and commitments fall behind, humanitarian needs in Ukraine keep rising. In many frontline and hard-to-reach areas, humanitarian aid is the only lifeline.
Recent attacks have caused new waves of displacement, so this is not the moment to scale back.
We all hope for a just and lasting peace and for recovery and reconstruction to begin. But we must be clear-eyed: the humanitarian consequences of this war will not disappear overnight. More support will be needed.
Thank you again for standing with the people of Ukraine at this cold, dark hour. I am confident that todays discussion will help us stand even closer to them.
Bringing warmth to homes without heat. Light where there is darkness. And real, human support to our fellow Europeans facing another brutal winter.