In Nicosia, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a joint meeting with President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, President of the European Council António Costa, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

This was reported by the Office of the President on January 7.

The key topic of discussion was the priorities of Cyprus’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, including strengthening defense assistance and achieving real progress in negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

The Head of State separately thanked European partners for their work toward achieving a dignified peace. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Europe must play an important role in all peace efforts and that shared interests must be protected.

Special attention was paid to defense support for Ukraine by EU states, particularly strengthening air defense, combat aviation, and drone production. Cooperation within the SAFE instrument was also discussed.

The President noted that allocating EUR 90 billion to Ukraine is an unprecedented decision that will have a tangible impact on Ukraine’s defense capability and Europe’s security. The parties also discussed continued work on a reparations loan to restore Ukraine’s financial stability.