In today's joint debate on the outcome of the European Council, ECR Co-Chair Patryk Jaki issued a strong warning against political hypocrisy and called for real action to strengthen Europe's security.

While welcoming the general direction of strengthening European defence, Jaki made clear that credible security starts with addressing the EU’s own internal failures, including democratic backsliding in member states and a failed migration policy that undermines European stability.

“There is no doubt who the aggressor is: Russia. And there is no doubt that only credible force can stop Russia. But if you want to talk seriously about Europe’s security, you have to answer the fundamental question: how is Europe safer when elections are cancelled in Romania, when opposition politicians in Poland are deprived of their rights and imprisoned, and when you push a migration policy that makes Europe less stable?” said Mr Jaki.

Mr Jaki also strongly criticised the EU’s failure to act on frozen Russian assets:

“You say you want to help Ukraine, but you keep €300 billion in frozen Russian assets. If you were serious, you would give this money to Ukraine now - enough to finance five years of war. But you won’t, because you’re already preparing your next reset with Russia.”

Finally, Mr Jaki warned that the EU’s internal divisions and the divisions in the West will only embolden Russia:

“Your behaviour puts EU countries bordering Russia in great danger. You won’t stop tanks with empty words. If Europe wants real security, it must stop attacking its allies, stop dividing its own people and start rearming for real.”

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Mr Jaki’s full speech reads:

There’s no doubt who is the aggressor and who is the victim. The aggressor is Russia, and the victim is Ukraine. There’s no doubt that no reset with Russia has ever succeeded and never will. The only thing that can stop Russia is credible force, and the general direction of strengthening European arms capabilities is good.

However, you will not escape from the fundamental questions. You’re talking about the security of Europe—great. I would like to ask you how the security of Europe is served by cancelling elections in Romania and not allowing the candidate with 50 per cent support to run? How does allowing Tusk to destroy the opposition, take away all the public money from the opposition party, and imprison MEPs serve Europe’s security? How do your immigration policy and the Migration Pact serve European security?

And the key question is this: Do you want Europe to defend itself from external threats, or do you want Europeans to kill each other? Instead of integrating Europe in the face of threats, as usual, you choose your particular interest: Ukraine. If the strength of Ukraine grew from the number of your empty words, the Ukrainian army would now be preparing to parade in Moscow.

Do you want to help? You have 300 billion euros of frozen Russian assets. Give them to Ukraine! That will be enough for five years of war. But you won’t do it. You keep it because you want to use it to negotiate further resets with Russia. That is why you keep attacking America, provoking it to leave Europe, while you yourselves do not have the military capabilities to defend the continent.

Your behaviour will put EU countries that border Russia in great danger. President Zelenskyy found this out after the summit in London. You will not provide the army with weapons through your slogans, and that’s why we need to change it.