Luxembourg supports all efforts by the European Commission to help Ukraine, Prime Minister Luc Frieden told the press after the EU summit on Friday evening.
He emphasised that withdrawing support or giving in to Russian aggression is not a solution, since otherwise the aggressor wins. Frieden warned that President Putin is after more than two provinces and wants to take over the whole of Ukraine, even potentially continuing its advance elsewhere in Europe.
Alongside ongoing military and financial support for Ukraine, EU leaders also agreed to increase pressure on Russia. While stopping short of a formal ban, the summit resolved to issue as few tourist visas as possible to Russian citizens. Frieden confirmed this move and said he would consult with Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel to coordinate Luxembourg’s approach.
Migration policy was another key topic at the summit, though EU leaders failed to reach a consensus. Frieden explained there was no conclusion on this file, partly because some language did not reflect Europe’s fundamental values. He stressed the importance of distinguishing between different types of migration, stating that not all ills in European countries can be blamed on migration or illegal migration. He strongly rejects this conflation, made by some other European leaders.
Nevertheless, Frieden maintained that illegal migration must be tackled and called for European solutions. He noted that measures from the EU’s new asylum and migration pact are already yielding results, citing a 50% reduction in illegal entries and a 14% increase in the return of people not permitted to remain in Europe. According to Frieden, these trends are also reflected in Luxembourg.
However, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of legal migration, particularly for Europe and especially for Luxembourg, as essential for the economy.
