The European leaders concluded a summit this morning, in Brussels, which lasted for 17 hours, and which is fundamentally marked by the participation of Volodymyr Zelensky.
For the Prime Minister, António Costa, the participation of the Ukrainian president in the summit represented a “key moment”, which allowed a face-to-face debate on European support for Ukraine.
The Prime Minister, António Costa, considers that, in terms of enlargement, there was “a proximity of positions” between Ukraine and the European Union.
“A situation point was made about the work that Ukraine has been developing, with a view to meeting the set of requirements to be able to advance in the negotiations for accession to the European Union,” said António Costa, considering that it was “a very remarkable moment and which undoubtedly reflects a close proximity of positions between the European Union and Ukraine”.
On the European side, António Costa says there is no doubt about Ukraine’s ability to carry out the reforms, “the Council having expressly recognized the effort that Ukraine has been making to meet the criteria.”
“None of us will find it difficult to imagine the added difficulty of carrying out this work in the context of war, as we are witnessing,” the prime minister stressed.
The Portuguese government is among those warning, however, of the need for reforms in the Brussels institutions, so that a new member state can be welcomed into the European community.
For António Costa, the meeting with Zelensky, in addition to being symbolic, was an opportunity to discuss aid to Ukraine.
“It was important for us to be able to talk together, reaffirm Russia’s condemnation of this unjustified war against Ukraine, strengthen statements of support for Ukraine, and discuss, with President Zelensky, other concrete ways to support the Ukrainian people and Ukraine in their struggle. in defense of international law and to achieve peace”, considered António Costa.
“I affirmed our willingness to actively participate in three of the points, those related to food security, those related to energy security and those related to ecocide,” added the head of government, referring to He attended meetings with Zelensky, on the sidelines. of the summit, which also served as a forum for leaders to discuss Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposed 10-point plan for peace.
On military support, António Costa “detailed the shipments that are underway, namely the Leopards. And, naturally, President Zelensky, who is currently in a phase where a significant and urgent reinforcement of his capacity is needed military, is naturally satisfied with the effort that the different Member States have made to support”.
Source: TSF
