EU leaders in Brussels will also meet with Zelensky and reaffirm their “unwavering commitment” to supporting Ukraine.
European Union leaders at the summit aim to send a “clear signal” to US President-elect Donald Trump about their continued support for Ukraine. They will discuss security and economic concerns related to his return to the White House. This was stated in the draft statement of the summit, Reuters reports on Thursday, December 19.
As talks begin in Brussels, the leaders will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reaffirm their “unwavering commitment” to supporting Ukraine “as long as necessary,” the document notes.
Trump has repeatedly called for a quick end to the nearly three-year war. He said on December 16 that Zelensky should be ready to negotiate peace with Vladimir Putin, although he did not say whether that meant Kyiv would cede territory to Moscow as part of a negotiated settlement.
“Russia must not prevail,” the draft EU conclusion said, adding that no initiative in Ukraine should be carried out without Kyiv’s participation.
An EU diplomat described the draft text as “a clear signal to the United States.”
Over lunch, the leaders will also discuss the broader relationship between the EU and the US amid concerns about a possible transatlantic trade war.
Some EU diplomats say the key to the bloc is unity and preventing Washington from holding discussions or reaching agreements with individual EU members – a replica of the more successful unified its strategy for engagement with Britain during the Brexit negotiations.
The EU will try to point out that it is the US’s second largest trading partner and a close ally with shared values. However, due to Trump’s concerns about the US goods trade deficit, EU officials discussed the possibility of a proposal to buy more US LNG or weapons.
As reported, Trump considers ending the war in Ukraine his top priority after taking office.
In addition, according to media reports, the team of the elected US President is talking to the White House and Ukrainian officials on ways to end the war with Russia.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.