European Council

The EU recalled that Ukraine's progress towards EU membership will depend on its own merits and the EU's ability to accept new members, while recognizing Ukraine's commitment and progress despite the war with Russia.

Ukraine expects increased sanctions pressure on Russia and quick decisions on the confiscation of Russian assets, as well as continued military support from the EU.

A meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council will be held in Brussels on March 20 to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine, its consequences, Ukraine's integration into the EU, and bilateral relations.

European Council President Charles Michel arrives in Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the Weimar Triangle leaders' meeting to discuss further support and assistance to Ukraine.

President of the European Council Charles Michel sarcastically congratulated Vladimir Putin on his "convincing" victory in the sham presidential election in Russia, where there was no opposition, no freedom, no choice.

The EU has extended individual sanctions against Russians responsible for undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity for another six months until September 15, 2024, while maintaining restrictions on more than 2,100 individuals and entities supporting Russia's military aggression in Ukraine.

The European Parliament adopted a directive criminalizing the violation and circumvention of EU sanctions, establishing uniform definitions and minimum penalties for such offenses.

European Union leaders are ready to impose significant new sanctions on Iran amid reports that Tehran has provided ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine.

According to European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commission is expected to soon propose how to use the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. The proposals are likely to appear before the March EU summit, according to a senior EU official.

In March 2024, Ukraine expects to receive a negotiating framework for EU accession from the European Commission. The Ukrainian government has implemented the necessary recommendations.

Ursula von der Leyen, the current President of the European Commission, has been confirmed as the leading candidate of the European People's Party in the upcoming European elections.

A Russian missile strike targeted the infrastructure of the Odesa port during Zelenskyy's official visit with the Greek Prime Minister, but did not hit the presidential motorcade, as falsely reported by Russian media.

On March 6, five people were killed in a morning attack on Odesa's port infrastructure by Russians. In addition, there is information about the wounded.

The President of the European Council Charles Michel believes that the shelling of Odesa during the visit of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis demonstrates the cowardly tactics of the russian federation.

The German Finance Minister proposes to use the interest from frozen Russian assets totaling billions of dollars to finance Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression.

Europe must increase military spending to deter a more aggressive Russia, says Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

The EU Council has decided to extend sanctions against Belarus for another year until February 2025 due to ongoing repression in the country and continued support for Russia's war against Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the prime ministers of Italy and Belgium on the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy called for further increasing sanctions pressure on Russia to force it to become more rational and lose the war, while announcing new defense support packages from Denmark, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

Zelenskyy and Michel discussed sanctions against Russia, the situation on the Ukrainian-Polish border, and preparations for the 25th anniversary Ukraine-EU summit.

The Kremlin rejects demands for an independent international investigation into the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny in prison.

Von der Leyen has announced that she will run for a second term as president of the European Commission.

Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna said that the EU accession process should take place in accordance with political and historical circumstances, not technical obstacles, and that politicization of every step delays Ukraine's integration.

G7 foreign ministers issue a joint statement condemning Russia's aggression in Ukraine, North Korea's arms sales to Moscow, and calling on Iran to stop helping the Russian military.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister thanked international partners for paving the way for the use of funds from frozen russian assets to help Ukraine.

In response to the Hungarian Prime Minister's statement about a buffer zone in Ukraine, the Center for Strategic Communications said that Hungary's security depends on Kyiv's survival.

NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg has sharply criticized Donald Trump's statement to attack NATO members who do not fulfill their financial obligations, saying that any attack on the Alliance will be met with a united response, and that undermining allies increases the risks to soldiers.

The President of the European Council criticized Trump's statements about encouraging Russian attacks on NATO allies as only serving Putin's interests and not bringing more security or peace.

The European Commission expects a framework for negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU to be presented in the coming weeks.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for further solidarity between the US and Europe to support Ukraine and prevent Russia from winning Russia's aggression, stating that the consequences of failing to stop Russia and Putin will worsen global security.