António Costa

The President of Ukraine met with EU leaders, thanking them for the preparation of the 17th sanctions package. They discussed increasing pressure on Russia and supporting Ukraine on its path to the EU.

The President of the European Council, António Costa, announced the relaunch of the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans. He confirmed the requirement for candidate countries to implement reforms to meet EU standards.

The EU is exploring additional ways to support Ukraine, in addition to the already planned aid for 2025 and the 15 billion euros promised by member states. Zelenskyy called for the allocation of 5 billion euros for shells.

António Costa stated that Europe seeks to ensure Ukraine has a strong position in peace talks. The EU will strengthen Ukraine's defense with political, financial, and military support.

The President of the European Council commented on the issue of Hungary possibly blocking sanctions. He emphasized that over the past two years, the EU has adopted 16 packages of sanctions, the latest one being two weeks ago.

The President of the European Council stated the inseparable connection between the security of Europe and Ukraine. The EU will continue to support and strengthen collective defense, and will be there during future peace negotiations.

In the event of Hungary's veto regarding Ukraine at the EU summit, two alternative courses of action are being considered. The first is approval with a note of Hungary's disagreement, the second is a statement from the President of the European Council supporting all countries except those in disagreement.