During discussions held this morning at the European Council in Brussels, European Union leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need to maintain pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring him to the negotiating table for peace talks.
According to an EU official, President Zelensky briefed the European leaders on the latest wave of Russian attacks against civilian targets and energy infrastructure in Ukraine, the country’s economic situation, the most urgent needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the current state of international efforts toward a ceasefire.
Both the EU leaders and President Zelensky agreed that Russia shows no willingness to engage in meaningful peace negotiations to end the war. Therefore, they concluded that continued pressure is essential to compel President Putin to enter discussions aimed at achieving peace.
The same EU official noted that President Zelensky expressed his gratitude to the European leaders for adopting the EU’s 19th package of sanctions and for ensuring that the Union remains committed to supporting Ukraine in the long term.
Following their exchange with the Ukrainian president, the EU leaders continued their internal discussions on Ukraine, focusing particularly on how best to cover the country’s financial needs for the next two years (2026–2027).
The European leaders are expected to return to the topic of Ukraine later this afternoon.
Source: ANA-MPA, M. Aroni / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
