Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss Ukraine’s European integration, strengthening sanctions against Russia, and progress on internal reforms. Zelenskiy reported the details of the call on social media.
A key focus was Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts. Zelenskiy said they discussed a draft law aimed at ensuring the independence and effectiveness of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions. He thanked the European Commission for its expert support and stressed the importance of adopting the legislation without delay—already next week.
The leaders also addressed the implementation of reforms required for financial support under the EU’s Ukraine Facility program. Zelenskiy noted that earlier today he signed two laws—on reforming the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) and on factoring. According to him, von der Leyen acknowledged Ukraine’s progress in meeting the relevant benchmarks.
They also discussed continued pressure on Russia. Zelenskiy expressed gratitude for the EU’s adoption of the 18th package of sanctions, particularly the lowering of the price cap on Russian oil. He noted that all 18 sanctions packages are now fully in effect under Ukrainian legislation.
Finally, the conversation touched on the next steps toward opening the first negotiation cluster in Ukraine’s EU accession talks. Zelenskiy said Ukraine would work swiftly to move this process forward.