Zelenskyy and von der Leyen’s meeting in New York took place amid Kyiv’s concerns about a possible escalation by Russia in winter and disputes over further EU support for Ukraine. Bloomberg reports, UNN writes.
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According to a person familiar with the negotiations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York.
According to the source, the Ukrainian side expressed concern about the prospect of escalation by Russia in winter, amid limited air-defense capabilities to protect Ukrainian cities. The Ukrainians were also outraged by the EU’s decision to lift sanctions on two Russian oligarchs as part of an agreement to extend the sanctions.
"More defense support is already on its way. And as reforms advance in the Verkhovna Rada, there will also be more budget support," von der Leyen wrote in a post on X after the meeting, referring to the Ukrainian parliament. "We still have €37 billion available for this calendar year."
As the publication notes, after more than four years of full-scale war, differences have begun to emerge between Kyiv and its key allies as preparations are made for another difficult winter under Russian attacks. Ukraine is becoming increasingly frustrated by the unwillingness of some European allies to supply critically important interceptors that Kyiv can use against Russian missiles, while European countries are growing increasingly irritated by rising financial demands.
Ukraine asked its allies to help cover an unforeseen budget deficit of about €26 billion ($30 billion), and also called on the EU to expedite the allocation of a €90 billion loan. These funds were intended to provide financing for Ukraine through the end of next year.
The EU opposed some of Ukraine’s calculations and proposed that other partners, including Canada, Norway, and Japan, provide additional financing. Zelenskyy told journalists that their teams would meet again in seven to ten days for further negotiations on the issue, and expressed hope that a solution would be found.
According to him, the Europeans said for the first time that they saw "growing risks of aggressive actions by Russia against other European countries."