Lisbon (Reuters)-European Council President Antonio Costa said on Tuesday that the process to make Ukraine a member of the European Union must advance and that Europe should be part of future peace negotiations alongside Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
Costa, who informed the board members of Monday’s summit on Washington through a Lisbon video call, told reporters that, although there is much to be made and no guarantee of success, the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is “huge progress.”
“Now we all need to turn this possibility into reality, so that the meeting will take place and be a success,” he said, asking for broader conversations involving Europe to occur “as soon as possible.”
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He also highlighted Washington’s readiness to participate in safety guarantees for Ukraine as “particularly important.”
“The basis for future guarantees is Ukraine’s Armed Forces themselves, whose ability needs to be reinforced,” he said, adding that Ukraine’s future is not just about safety measures, but the prospects of stability and prosperity that adherence to the EU would bring.
In the meantime, the block will continue to press Russia to interrupt the war and is preparing another package of sanctions, Costa added.
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(Andrei Khalip report)
