President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Thursday to discuss Ukraine’s EU accession progress and new financial assistance, Presidential Office informs.
The talks come amid ongoing negotiations regarding Ukraine’s EU integration process. During the meeting, Zelenskyy expressed Ukraine’s expectation to open two new EU accession negotiation clusters at the beginning of Poland’s EU Council presidency.
He also thanked von der Leyen for her personal efforts in maintaining EU unity regarding Ukraine, emphasizing that a united European position is crucial for achieving a just peace.
“2025 will be a crucial year for Ukraine and its partners. We will stand by Ukraine’s right to fight for its freedom and choose its own destiny. We will support Ukraine’s economic stability, with over €30 billion of EU support next year,” von der Leyen stated.
The leaders discussed the allocation of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. In particular, Ukraine’s president thanked the EU for the approval of a new €18.1 billion macro-financial assistance package as part of the G7 loan initiative, with Ukraine expecting to receive the first tranche in January 2025.
The meeting also covered priorities for the new European Commission’s work and broader support for Ukraine. Earlier in Brussels, Zelenskyy had raised the issue of protecting several strategic facilities in Ukraine and discussed the possibility of peacekeeping forces.
Related:
- World Bank approves first Ukraine aid from US loan backed by Russian assets
- Zelenskyy confirms Trump advisor Keith Kellogg to visit Ukraine in early January
- EU’s Kallas warns against rushing Ukraine-Russia negotiations amid Trump’s push for talks
- UK announces new £225 million military aid package for Ukraine