At the end of the week, I took part in a panel discussion at Yalta European strategy 2025. It was a substantive conversation with Fabrizio Saggio, Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Italy; General @generalkellogg , Special Representative of the President of the United States; Günter Sautter, National Security Advisor to the Federal Chancellor of Germany; and @Xavier_Chatel_ , Diplomatic Advisor to the President of France. Key points: — Putin cannot be stopped by compromises or agreements – only by force. I stressed that this is important to realize. — Ukraine has already become the shield of Europe and the entire free world. — All proposals to hand over frozen Russian assets in exchange for a ceasefire are unacceptable, because the aggressor must pay for this war. Otherwise, any dictator will repeat the same strategy. — We also discussed the new European security system and Ukraine’s central role in it – a role we are already playing. Overall, the security system for Ukraine consists of strong and modernly equipped Armed Forces, international guarantees already supported by 26 states, sanctions, EU membership, and guarantees for economic recovery. The latest events in Poland with Russian drones once again proved: it is time to close the Ukrainian sky. This will be protection not only for us, but for all our neighbors. And this must be a collective effort, because these challenges are new for all of Europe. We also discussed economic issues. Despite the war, 90% of American companies continue operating in Ukraine, which demonstrates their faith in our future – something I am deeply grateful to our partners for. We have proven that we can fight and win, and it is from such strong positions that we are ready for real negotiations on a lasting peace.