President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with President of the European Council Antonio Costa, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Martha Kos. The EU representatives visited Ukraine on the first day after taking office, the President’s Office said.
The Head of State emphasised that such a symbolic start of work of the new EU leadership reflects the priority of Ukraine on the European agenda.
‘Peace is the foundation. We will continue to do everything to end the war unleashed by Russia as soon as possible and to strengthen our Europe, EU institutions and support for every European country,’ Zelenskyy said.
Main topics of the meeting
One of the key issues was the strengthening of Ukraine’s air defence system. The President handed over to the European partners a list of specific needs to strengthen the air shield. They also discussed the situation at the frontline and support for the Ukrainian defence industry.
Zelenskyy thanked the European partners for investing in the production of modern weapons and called for more active purchases of weapons from Ukrainian manufacturers.
‘At least one billion euros from the second tranche of proceeds from frozen Russian assets will be used to support Ukraine’s defence industry,’ the President stressed.
Sanctions and energy assistance
The parties discussed the strengthening of sanctions policy, including the introduction of the 15th EU sanctions package. Zelenskyy drew attention to the need to maintain sanctions against the Russian tanker fleet, which provides a significant part of the Kremlin’s income for the war.
Antonio Costa said that the EU would continue to put pressure on the Russian economy and condemned the shelling of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He reiterated the EU’s readiness to contribute to the restoration of damaged energy facilities.
European integration
Zelenskyy stressed the importance of continuing negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
‘We have to do everything possible in December and next year to start negotiations on the first two clusters at the beginning of the year, and the rest – during 2025,’ he said.
Antonio Costa praised Ukraine’s efforts:
‘Ukrainians have shown impressive progress and have become an example of how to carry out reforms even in times of war.’
Financial support
The President of the European Council has confirmed an additional €4.2bn in budget support for Ukraine by the end of the year. Starting in January, the EU will disburse €1.5bn per month, drawn from frozen Russian assets. These funds can also be used for military purposes.
‘We will do everything possible for Ukraine to become a member of the European Union as soon as possible,’ Antonio Costa concluded.