António Costa warns “Dear Friend” Zelensky who can “count on the EU”

O president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is taking part in the European Council on energy, migration, the EU's long-term budget and support for Ukraine this Friday. 

The Ukrainian leader arrived together with António Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

In statements to journalists, António Costa started by strengthening the support of the European Union (EU) for the country at war, arguing that “it is time to sit Russia at the table” to end this conflict.

“ It is time to increase our support and get Russia to accept the ceasefire, to sit it on the negotiating table, to stop this war. It is time for peace,” said António Costa before addressing the Ukrainian President and ensuring: “Dear Friend Volodymyr Zelensky, you can count on us.”.

The Socialist, former Prime Minister of Portugal, said that Ukraine could count on the EU to try to resolve the conflict as well as to help it in the “future EU member” process.

In response, Zelensky assumed that his country still has “great reforms to do”, but promised that he would “do what we can to join the EU.

The Ukrainian leader, who is to meet today for the first time with the new Prime Minister of Hungary, Peter Magyar, said it was “a great joy to be here” and once again left a thank you “for support”.

In turn, Ursula Von der Leyen recalled that it still needs “intense work to bring Ukraine closer to the EU” and said that one of the main concerns, to be discussed at today’s meeting, is how the EU will “support Ukraine. in the coming winter, especially given that Russia is doing everything it can to destroy its energy capacity. 

The President of the European Commission also said that she agreed to Donald Trump's ceasefire proposal, but regretted that Russia was not respecting it.

Zelensky in Brussels

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrived in Brussels on Thursday and met NATO’s Secretary-General (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), Mark Rutte, as well as some European Union leaders, including French, Emmanuel Macron, Polish, Donald Tusk, and Belgian, Mart de Wever.

This Friday, in addition to meeting with the Presidents of the European Council, António Costa, and the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and participating – as usual since the invasion of Russia in 2022 – at a session of the proceedings, the Ukrainian Head of State also has bilateral meetings with the Hungarian leader, among others.

EU aid to Ukraine and the current geopolitical situation are topics on the agenda of the European summit.