Ukrainian delegation holds number of bilateral meetings in Brussels within framework of European Council

As part of the Ukrainian President’s participation in the European Council meeting, the Ukrainian delegation held a series of bilateral meetings with EU leaders, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov reported on Telegram.

The talks focused on increasing pressure on Russia, defense support for Ukraine, energy sustainability, and further European integration: "The President of Ukraine met with European Council President António Costa, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland, Finland, and Italy: Petr Fiala, Donald Tusk, Petteri Orpo, and Giorgia Meloni," the message reads.

During the meetings, the 19th EU sanction package against Russia was discussed, including restrictions on the shadow oil fleet, banking and financial systems, a ban on Russian LNG imports, and sanctions against crypto platforms. The parties also agreed on the 30th defense aid package for Finland, amounting to EUR 52 million, and Helsinki’s accession to the PURL initiative with a contribution of EUR 100 million.

Discussions included further expansion of defense support to Ukraine under the SAFE and PURL programs, strengthening air defense, restoring energy infrastructure after Russian attacks, using frozen Russian assets to support defense, and joint defense and industrial projects.

"Ukraine is grateful to its European partners for their consistent support, leadership, and practical decisions that strengthen our ability to defend the lives and freedom of our people every day," Umerov said.