Historic summit. EU ministers in Kyiv

For the first time, a visit to the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union countries was held in Kyiv.

A visit to the meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council took place for the first time in Kyiv. It was immediately called historical. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that the Council meeting was held for the first time outside the current borders of the EU, but “within its future borders.” He noted that this meeting shows the support of the European Union for Ukraine in the war against the aggressor country Russia.

There is no alternative to membership

“We are convening a historic meeting of EU foreign ministers here in Ukraine, a candidate country and future EU member,” said TC foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. He emphasized that the future of Ukraine is only in the EU, and this will be the best commitment to ensure security.

At the same time, Borrell said that the meeting was informal because it was not taking place in the EU. He described it as a high-level political debate. According to him, the purpose of the meeting is to find opportunities to help Ukraine and counter Russian aggression.

EU from Lisbon to Lugansk

The European Union will soon expand from Lisbon to Lugansk, said Annalena Bärbock, German Foreign Minister, at a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers in Kyiv. “Ukraine’s future is in the European Union, in our community of freedom, and it will soon expand from Lisbon to Lugansk. In every village, in every meter that Ukraine frees, in every meter where it saves its people, it also widens its path towards the EU,” he said.

Baerbock added that Kyiv is capable of carrying out impressive reforms against the backdrop of Russia’s formidable aggression. “These are things like changing the law in the field of justice, in the field of media, but also related to the fight against corruption, and we are openly talking about it with our partners here in Ukraine, which together we can expand this path,” he concluded.

So many promises

The victory of the populist party, which has pledged to cut military aid to Ukraine, in Slovakia’s elections was widely interpreted as evidence of the growing reluctance of some European countries to continue arming Kyiv.

However, the foreign ministers gathered in Kyiv actively insisted that aid to Ukraine remains the EU’s priority. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called the meeting “a demonstration of our strong and continued support for Ukraine until it wins.”

“This is also a signal to Russia that we should not rely on our fatigue. We have been here for a long time,” she added.

Borrell also pledged in Kyiv that European support would continue, regardless of what happens during the Ukrainian counter-offensive.

These statements were partially addressed to the Kremlin. “EU support does not depend on progress on the battlefield,” said the head of European diplomacy. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba spoke in the same vein on Sunday, warning that Russia is futile in trying to wait for military aid to Ukraine.

European support for Kyiv, according to Borrell, also does not depend on US efforts. Brussels hopes to pass a new military aid package of 20 billion euros until 2027. This plan is part of the EU’s long-term commitment to ensuring Ukraine’s security. It also includes spending €5 billion a year on arms and ammunition: this is one of the issues that EU foreign ministers will discuss at the meeting in Kyiv.

All this comes ahead of what promises to be a challenging winter, and weeks before the European Commission publishes a report that will report on Ukraine’s progress (and other candidates) in the reform needed to start EU accession negotiations.