BRUSSELS, 15 March 2022, (TON): North Macedonia is the first stop in my trip to the Western Balkans and I want to start thanking President  of North Marcedonia, Stevo, Penderovski, whom I met this morning, and let me thank you Prime Minister, dear Dimitar and the members of your government for receiving me at this crucial moment.

In fact, my visit comes against the backdrop of the barbaric aggression by [President of Russia, Vladimir] Putin against the people of Ukraine.

I am repeating, barbaric attack by Putin, that is Putin’s war on the people of Ukraine. Not only the military, but the civilians.

The Russian armed forces continue to carry out air missile and artillery strikes targeting civilians, peaceful neighbourhoods, assaulting food reserves, hospitals and schools. In Mariupol, they have trapped civilians, who are being bombed, starved and dehydrated as Russia has cut off water.

You could live without heating, but you cannot live without water. They have cut food and gas at temperatures below zero. More than 2.400 civilians have died in Mariupol since 24 February, when dear Prime Minister, we held a phone call about the situation.