Zelenskyy in Brussels: Thanks “real leaders”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is thanking “real leaders” in Europe for their support—amidst his latest dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy is attending Friday’s EU summit in Brussels as a specially invited guest.
“I am glad to be here. I am grateful that we have such enormous support from the EU, the Council, the Commission, and the leaders—real leaders,” says Volodymyr Zelenskyy upon his arrival at the meeting.
The primary focus of today’s discussions is Ukraine’s air defense and energy supply ahead of another wartime winter.
“The winter package is not just about the economy; it also concerns air defense and financial support,” says Zelenskyy.
Support for Ukraine remains place
Over the past week, Ukraine has opened two additional “negotiating clusters” as part of the talks regarding its future EU membership.
“Now the goal is to open the final two clusters before the end of the year,” says Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Meanwhile, European Council President António Costa affirms that the EU’s support remains steadfast.
“The EU’s support for Ukraine remains as strong as ever.” "This is not the time to withdraw support for Ukraine or ease the pressure on Russia," says Costa.
Ukraine has already run out of funds, stated Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen upon arriving at Friday's meeting. This means that Ukraine is currently unable to purchase or produce the equipment it needs, according to Frederiksen, who also noted that EU leaders remain united in their support for Ukraine.
Denmark and Sweden are among the countries advocating for the use of frozen Russian assets to finance further aid to Ukraine. However, this is not currently on the agenda.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has scheduled a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy for early afternoon.
Criticism of Spain's migration policy
The Middle East, Russian hybrid attacks, and migration are also set to be discussed at the EU summit on Friday.
Frederiksen took the opportunity to highlight Denmark's tough stance on migration issues while speaking to reporters.
"One country is doing almost the exact opposite of what the rest of us are doing," she said.
The Danish criticism targets the Spanish government's handling of the large influx of migrants and asylum seekers entering the EU via the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa.
Facts
Dispute over EU long-term budget continues
The first day of the EU summit, last Thursday, concluded without the scheduled press conference following 14 hours of intense meetings.
Much of the discussion centered on the long-term budget for the years 2028–2034. A so-called "negotiating box"—a draft budget serving as a basis for negotiations—proposed by the Irish government was rejected, including by Sweden. Sweden and several other countries want to see budget austerity measures in order to keep their EU contributions down.
The President of the European Council is now tasked with preparing a new negotiating framework ahead of an extraordinary summit to be held at the end of November.
The atmosphere at the meeting was significantly dampened by unexpectedly sharp exchanges between various EU leaders regarding whether or not the EU’s emissions trading system should be adjusted in response to high energy prices.
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