Ukraine’s victory in the war with Russia depends on cooperation with the European Union, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi said on Monday before EU foreign ministers who gathered in Kyiv for an informal meeting that was not announced in advance, News.ro reports.

Volodymyr Zelenskyi, who spoke after the US Congress excluded military aid to Ukraine from a short-term government spending bill, also emphasized the importance of “defense support” provided to Ukraine during the war of aggression launched by Russia, The Guardian reports. and CNN.

EU foreign ministers met in Kyiv on Monday for their first meeting outside the bloc, lending their support to Kyiv after a pro-Russian candidate won an election in Slovakia and the US Congress removed military aid to Ukraine from its spending bill.

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that he offered Ukraine a new bilateral aid package through the European Peace Fund of up to 5 billion euros for the next year.

“I hope we will be able to reach an agreement by the end of the year,” he said at a joint press conference in Kyiv with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba.

The EU remains united in its support for Ukraine, assured the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell. “I don’t see any member state wavering,” he added, indicating that the EU does not expect Slovakia or Poland to stop contributing to Ukraine’s defense.

The meeting of EU foreign ministers was “a strong signal for Russia that its missiles or drones do not scare us,” Borrell emphasized.

Zelensky: The more active we are, the less likely Russia will adapt to our joint pressure

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the ministers of foreign affairs of the European Union in Kyiv and expressed “confidence that Ukraine and the entire free world are capable of winning this confrontation (with Russia).”

“But our victory directly depends on our cooperation: the more strong and principled steps we take together, the sooner this war will end. It will end justly. It will end with the restoration of our territorial integrity and a reliable guarantee of peace for the whole of Europe,” Zelenskyy said.

He called the presence of ministers in Kyiv a step towards the consolidation of Europe. “We must constantly take new defense and diplomatic, political integration, economic and sanctions measures that will strengthen our common positions,” said the President of Ukraine.

“The more active we are, the less likely Russia will adapt to our joint pressure,” he added.

Zelenskyi noted that among the important steps, in addition to the continuation of military aid and joint production of weapons, is Ukraine’s path to NATO membership and a new package of sanctions against Russia, as well as “the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU this year.” “.

In response, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said: “You can be sure of our determination to support Ukraine as long as it takes.”

Ukraine wants to start negotiations on joining the EU by the end of the year

Ukraine hopes to become a member of the European Union within two years, but the EU itself has some important decisions to make before it is ready to accept any new country.

The head of the EU diplomacy rejected the assumptions according to which Ukraine’s accession to the EU bloc may take place gradually over several years. He declared that joining the EU was all or nothing, reflecting a school of thought that is increasingly spreading among diplomats. Some, including European Parliament President Roberta Metzola, have suggested that one option would be to allow Ukraine to enter the single market before full membership, which could take years.

“What is this talk of partial accession? Half membership, 25% membership? A membership is a membership. Full stop. Do you want me to repeat? A membership is a membership, period,” Borrell said.

EU diplomats say the biggest decision will be budgetary: admitting a country the size of Ukraine to the bloc would require a much larger budget, with many member states expected to shift from net beneficiaries to net payers.

It is expected that in early November, the EU will publish a report on the assessment of the accession process of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova after the first year since the two countries received the status of candidate states for accession. Then, in December, the EU leaders will meet and they will make decisions.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union should begin by the end of the year. “The theme of Ukraine’s accession to the EU was the leitmotif of all speeches. We are moving forward, we expect a decision on the start of accession negotiations (to the EU) by the end of the year,” said Kuleba, speaking after a meeting with foreign ministers of European countries gathered in Kyiv.

“The content and atmosphere of the discussion show that we communicate as a family. We have only one goal, and this was clearly demonstrated today in Kyiv,” said Kuleba, speaking together with the head of the European Union’s foreign policy department, Josep Borrell. “We were not offered anything, but Ukraine is a full-fledged state and we are satisfied only with full membership,” Kuleba emphasized.

“It’s only a matter of time. Both Ukraine and the European side are determined to advance as quickly as possible, taking into account all the reforms that Ukraine has implemented, is implementing and will implement,” said the head of Ukrainian diplomacy.

Kuleba also stated that the key message from the Ukrainian side is that “it will accept the seven recommendations made by the European Commission for the opening of accession negotiations,” but it is expected that “no additional demands will be made.”

These prerequisites include measures against corruption and money laundering, freedom of the press and protection of minorities.

Borrell: Ukraine’s accession is the strongest security commitment that the EU can offer to Kyiv

Borrell stressed on Monday that joining the European Union is “the strongest security commitment” that the EU bloc can offer Ukraine. According to Borrell, the foreign ministers held a “long discussion” that gave them “a better idea of ​​the security dimension of the situation” in Ukraine.

“We discussed the security commitments we want to make to Ukraine, demonstrating our determination to support Ukraine in the long term,” Borrell said. “And, certainly, the strongest obligation in the field of security that we can offer to Ukraine is the accession to the European Union. This is Ukraine’s strongest security commitment. Now Ukraine is a candidate country, and it is going further on its way,” Borrell said.

Head of the German Foreign Ministry: the future of Ukraine in the EU

For her part, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said on Monday that “Ukraine’s future is in the European Union” and praised Ukraine for the ongoing reforms.

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting of Ukraine-EU foreign affairs ministers, Berbok said that the EU “soon will stretch from Lisbon to Luhansk.”

“With every village, with every subway that Ukraine liberates, with every subway in which it saves its people, it opens its way to the EU,” Burbok added.

The German foreign minister praised Ukraine for starting the reform process during the war. In addition to changes in the field of justice, Berbok especially welcomed Ukraine’s attempts to overcome corruption.

Burbok told reporters that the EU will continue to support Ukraine “every day” and help it prepare for winter. Ukraine needs a winter defense plan that includes air defenses, generators and strengthening power supply systems, Burbok said.

How Ukraine looks at what is happening in Washington

On the other hand, commenting on what is happening in Washington, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine hopes that the exclusion of aid to Ukraine from the agreement in the US Congress on avoiding bankruptcy is nothing more than an “incident”.

“The question is whether what happened in the American Congress at the end of last week is an incident or is it systematic,” Kuleba said on the sidelines of a meeting with foreign ministers of the European Union. “I think it was an incident. We have a very in-depth discussion with both sides of Congress, Republicans and Democrats. And against the background of a possible shutdown of the government in the United States, the decision was made as it was,” he explained.

“But we’re working with both sides of Congress right now to make sure this doesn’t happen again under any circumstances. Therefore, we do not believe that the support of the United States has dissipated. Because the United States understands that the stake for Ukraine is much higher than just for Ukraine, it is about the stability and predictability of the world,” Kuleba added.

On the other hand, in a wide-ranging interview with CNN, Ukraine’s National Security Adviser Oleksiy Danilov expressed concern over the decision of the US Congress to exclude aid to Ukraine within the framework of the agreement on preserving the functioning of the federal government.

“We have to see whether the United States is responsible for democracy in the world, whether it remains a country that supports democracy, or whether it is a country that will stand by and watch authoritarian states seize more and more territory. It’s quite simple,” said Danilov. “If the United States is the bastion of democracy in the world, then the answer should be clear to all. If the United States believes that it should withdraw from this, that chaos should reign throughout the world, that authoritarian states should seize more and more territories, then the United States should also give such an answer,” he emphasized.

Speaking about the debate between the presidential candidates from the Republican Party regarding the amount of aid to Ukraine, Danilov said: “We are aware that a political process, an election process, has begun in the United States. We do not interfere in this process in any way, but we would very much like it not to affect the development of democracy in the world.”

“Once again, I emphasize that for Putin, and not only for him, but also for all autocratic regimes, it would be a great joy if the United States refused the aid it provides to our country,” he emphasized.

Danilov also said that the world is at a crossroads. “Darkness can quickly engulf many countries. The American people must choose – either on the side of light, or prepare for very unexpected events that may arise,” the Ukrainian adviser warned. At the same time, Danilov added that he is sure that the American people are “on the side of light.”

“As for the end of American support, we are more than confident that this will not happen,” he said.

The winter months will not affect Ukraine’s strategic tasks, Danilov assured, referring to the situation on the battlefield.

According to him, his country still needs more air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure – energy facilities, water supply and the fuel and energy complex.

Regarding possible negotiations on ending the conflict, Danilov said that the Russians cannot be trusted. “These are people who cannot agree with anyone. Today they will make an agreement with you, but tomorrow these agreements will not be fulfilled,” he warned.

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