EU's von der Leyen pledges to ‘not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war’ as leaders discuss Ukraine
Several leaders offered Zelenskyy very friendly welcome or, in some cases, simply a big hug as he walked into the room before the formal part of the meeting got under way.
TL;DR
- European leaders met in Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine amid strained US-Kyiv relations.
- Danish PM Mette Frederiksen disagreed with Trump's views, stressing the need to support Ukraine and not trust Putin.
- EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the situation as 'grave' and warned of a harsh winter for Ukraine.
- Irish PM Micheál Martin highlighted the severe pressure on Ukraine and the need for a European response, including financial and military support.
- Latvian PM Andris Kulbergs stressed that supporting Ukraine is essential for European comfort and security.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed happiness for 'real leaders' support and stated Ukraine sees no signals from Russia for peace.
- European Commission President von der Leyen pledged not to lift sanctions unless Russia stops the war and highlighted plans to open more negotiating clusters for Ukraine's EU accession.
- Portuguese PM Costa reinforced the EU's strong and unwavering support for Ukraine, emphasizing that now is not the time to withdraw support or relieve sanctions.
- The meeting also touched upon migration and broader foreign policy issues.