On the morning of 2 October, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrel reported that he was convening a meeting of all 27 EU foreign ministers in Kyiv, noting that it is the first such meeting outside the European Union.
I am convening today the EU Foreign Ministers in Kyiv, for the first ever meeting of all 27 Member States outside the EU.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) October 2, 2023
Ukraine’s future lies within the EU. pic.twitter.com/1mz5gpB1qx
Ahead of the meeting, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel noted:
“We will study the Peace Plan Formula, [President’s] Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula, in order to gather more support around the world and prepare the next [Peace] Summit,” he said.
The decision to hold a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Ukraine is a signal of support for the country and a historic event, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at a joint briefing with Josep Borrell in Kyiv, according to Ukrinform.
????LIVE: HR/VP @JosepBorrellF and Foreign Minster @DmytroKuleba joint doorstep ahead of ????????EU Ministerial meeting with ????????Ukraine https://t.co/9NG7u8e4vH
— European External Action Service – EEAS ???????? (@eu_eeas) October 2, 2023
The unannounced meeting of the EU ministers in Kyiv is informal because it is taking place out of the premises of the European Union, and because it is “considered a high-level political debate that does not have the aim of reaching concrete conclusions and decisions, but it is the kind of brainstorming that we need to do,” Borrel noted.
The European Union is among the biggest supporters of Ukraine in its fight against the ongoing Russian aggression. In response to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, EU has provided substantial military, humanitarian, and financial aid to Kyiv while pledging to further integrate Ukraine into the European community.
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