European Council President António Costa confirmed on Friday that the European Union’s support for Ukraine remains firm and strong, stressing that it is not the time to reduce assistance to Kyiv or ease sanctions on Russia, but rather to increase pressure on Moscow. This came during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Goal of ending the war
The EU website quoted Costa as saying the goal is to end the war and pave the way for peace, affirming that the European Union will continue to stand by Ukraine in the face of current challenges. He added that EU support is not limited to the circumstances imposed by the war, but also includes Ukraine’s future as a member of the European Union.
Negotiation path
Costa pointed to the opening of two new negotiating groups this week within the accession negotiation process, reflecting the EU’s commitment to continue supporting Kyiv politically, economically, and militarily since the outbreak of the war with Russia in February 2022. The EU has also granted Ukraine candidate country status, and Kyiv has begun the official membership negotiation process despite the ongoing war.
Call for an EU envoy
For his part, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called on the European Union to appoint an envoy to represent it in negotiations aimed at ending the Russo-Ukrainian war, suggesting Costa take on this role as soon as possible, in a move to enhance European coordination on the crisis.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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