President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
The President emphasized the urgent need for a joint European plan to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, along with security guarantees. Another key priority is the development of Ukraine’s defense industry, particularly the production of long-range missiles and drones. Ukraine is counting on a significant increase in arms procurement from domestic manufacturers, funded by revenues from frozen Russian assets.
The parties also discussed progress in Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the heads of the EU institutions will facilitate the swift opening of the first cluster, "Fundamentals."
The President thanked the EU for its strong support throughout the three years of Russia’s full-scale aggression and commended the European Union’s commitment to further assistance in this challenging time.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also welcomed the adoption of the EU’s 16th sanctions package against Russia, highlighting its targeting of logistics, banking sector, defense industry, and Russian propaganda, as well as the ban on storing Russian petroleum products.
Additionally, the leaders coordinated their positions ahead of the special European Council meeting scheduled for March 6.
