EU leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and called for accelerated aid
All 27 leaders of the European Union member states reaffirmed their comprehensive support for Ukraine during the summit in Brussels and assured that this support would continue.
During the meeting, the heads of state and government of the EU exchanged views with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reaffirmed their “unwavering and steadfast support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.”
The European Union emphasized its readiness to continue providing Ukraine with political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support.
The final document emphasizes: “Borders cannot be changed by force, the aggressor must not be rewarded, and Ukraine’s long-term security and its ability to defend itself must be guaranteed. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be determined without Ukraine.”
The European Council welcomed the opening of the first “Foundations” negotiation cluster and expressed hope for further progress in the negotiation process.
“The European Council also welcomed the opening of the first ‘Foundations’ cluster and looks forward to the opening of other clusters in line with a merit-based approach,” the conclusions state.
EU leaders reaffirmed their readiness to play a more active role in achieving peace and ensuring Ukraine’s security.
“The European Union and its member states are ready to contribute to providing reliable and credible security guarantees for Ukraine, in particular through the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ and in cooperation with the United States,” the document states.
The EU also emphasized the need to step up military assistance, in particular by accelerating the production and delivery of:
- air defense systems;
- ammunition;
- drones;
- missile systems.
“The European Council emphasizes the need for continued sustained efforts to provide military support to Ukraine, in particular through the Ukraine Support Facility, and calls for the urgent acceleration of the production and delivery of priority equipment,” the document states.
The EU looks forward to the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which will take place in Gdańsk on June 25–26, 2026.
In addition, Ukraine is expected to receive the first tranche of a 90 billion euro loan by the end of June.
The European Council also emphasized the need to mobilize additional international assistance to meet Ukraine’s financial needs.
Summit participants called for the swift adoption of the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, for intensifying efforts to combat the circumvention of restrictions, and for continuing pressure on the Russian energy sector and the so-called “shadow fleet.”
The EU also stressed that until a just and lasting peace is achieved:
“There should be no normalization of Russia’s participation in international sporting and cultural events.”
Separately, the European Council reaffirmed its commitment to the principle of the inevitability of punishment for war crimes.
“The European Council also reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to ensuring full accountability for war crimes committed as a result of the war,” the summit conclusions state.
This is stated in the European Council’s conclusions on Ukraine.
On June 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the key outcome of the G7 leaders’ summit in France was an agreement to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense systems. According to him, this decision is one of the most important results of international negotiations for Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss further cooperation and security issues. The head of state emphasized the importance of ongoing substantive communication between the two countries and expressed his gratitude to the UAE leader for his support of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy held a meeting with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Evian, where the G7 summit is taking place.
Zelenskyy entered the meeting room for the first session of the G7 summit alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
