President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The Head of State thanked the European Union for opening the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova. Volodymyr Zelenskyy described this as an important step in support of our country and, at the same time, a strong and clear signal to Russia and its attempts to divide Europe.
The leaders discussed the timetable for opening the next five clusters and further steps on Ukraine’s path towards European integration.
The discussion also covered the implementation of the financial support package and preparations for the disbursement of the first tranche. Our country expects to receive the funds as early as this month and direct them towards strengthening our defense against Russian aggression.
Particular attention was paid to strengthening sanctions against Russia. The leaders discussed the European Union’s 21st sanctions package, targeting the energy sector, trade, the financial sector, and cryptocurrencies.
In addition, the President of Ukraine and the EU leadership discussed diplomatic efforts to achieve peace. The parties agreed that Europe absolutely must be represented at the negotiating table. The Head of State stressed that, as long as Russia intends to continue the war, Ukraine’s air defense must be strengthened, and work must continue on aligning security guarantees for our country.
